Breaking In The Suits
by Lily Hanson
Summary: The Ninja Steel Rangers learn the ins and outs of being a Ranger - the hard way.
1. Sarah's Guilt

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Ninja Steel._

The attack on the city was over. The clones of Galvanax disappeared, leaving behind the damage they caused. With eight super sized monsters, there was a lot to clean up. They had taken out entire city blocks, levelling buildings, destroying homes and claiming many human lives.

This was easily the worst thing to happen to Summer Cover, but for Sarah, it was just the beginning.

She had a love for many things, but her greatest passion was engineering. She liked coming up with new ideas, designing new machines and bringing them to life. If there was a problem, she wanted to find a way to solve it using technology. The easier she could make her life, the more of a thrill she got from her inventions.

To date, her greatest pride and joy was her hoverboard. She used it daily to move around the city quickly. It combined her love for speed with her need to get around and explore.

She thought her next greatest invention would be her holo-clones. It would solve the problem of needing to be in two places at once, allowing her and others to get more done in a day. She didn't think there would be any negative consequences to her invention. So far, she just had a proto-type, and even when Galvanax's latest monster took off with one holo-sphere, Sarah had doubted just how powerful her own technology could be. After all, from what she had learned from Brody, Mick, and RedBot, Earth was thousands of years behind the most primitive galaxies outside the Milky Way. She had been certain that a device to create clones had already been invented and fell into Galvanax's hands. She doubted he would have any use for her primitive technology.

She either underestimated herself, or overestimated just how advanced alien technology was. Either way, Galvanax had taken advantage of her clones to create eight copies of himself and trash the city.

Sarah had been able to stop him from destroying her new hometown completely, but she hadn't done so in time. Hundreds of people were dead, and more were still missing. It was her fault. It had to be her fault. There was no one else to blame.

"You okay?" Preston asked as he sat next to her in the Ranger base, the paint room of their shop class at school. The Rangers gathered there after every battle to recover and care for any injuries they may have suffered. Sarah, unlike normal, had been quiet since the end of the battle, causing Preston to worry there was something on her mind.

"I'd really rather not talk about it," Sarah insisted. Preston put his hand on her back.

"Galvanax is the one at fault here," he told her, as if he could read her mind. At times, Sarah was convinced he could. She had only meet him about two months ago, but she felt like she had already known him forever. She thought maybe it had something to do with their fates intertwining as Rangers, but their friendship went beyond that. He was the best friend she had always wanted. "You didn't create his clones."

"He used my technology, Preston," Sarah told him. "If I had just been more careful with it, or realized how stupid it was to try and do more than one thing at a time, this never would have happened."

"It's not stupid to try and get stuff done," Preston assured her. "People attempt to do it all the time. So much so, there's even a word for it. Multitasking. You were simply trying to improve on multitasking. Galvanax is the one who turned it into something bad. Not you."

"So you don't think I could have done anything differently?"

"Sarah, we all could have done something differently. When you disappeared in that first battle, we were all so surprised by what happened, no one thought to pick up your holo-ball thing. If we had done that, Galvanax never would have had your technology."

"There's no way anyone would have expected you to know that would happen."

"So why can't the same be said for you?"

"Because you asked me if Galvanax could use the clones and I… I dismissed my doubts. If I hadn't of done that…"

"Sarah, we can play the 'what if' game all day," Preston said. "What happened sucks but you're not the one responsible."

"Thanks for trying, Preston," Sarah said with a sigh as she rose to her feet. She had very few injuries from which she needed to recover. She had spent most of the battle in the base and so had only a few bruises. Nothing she wasn't already used to from falls and crashes on her hover board. "I think I just need to head home."

"Rest up, Sarah," Preston said as he watched her leave. Her could understand why she was blaming herself. Truth be told, if he had been in her position, he would surely do the same thing. However, he didn't like to see her so sad. Since he had met her, she had done nothing out of malice. She had never intentionally tried to cause any trouble. In fact, she was the first person to go out of her way to treat him with respect. When Victor took her hoverboard on an unauthorized joyride and crashed into Preston's magic show, Sarah had been well within her rights to simply take her board back and walk away. Instead, she tried to get Victor to apologize for ruining the show and when he refused, she made it up to Preston by helping him to clean up.

She was the kindest person Preston had met, and while her impulsivity with her ideas could lead her into some trouble, such as right now, she always meant well.

Unfortunately, he didn't know what he could say to make her feel better. She was smart. She knew he was only trying to comfort her. The truth was, this was the worst mistake she could have made.

"She just needs some time," Hayley said to Preston once Sarah was gone. He nodded his head. He hoped that was the case.

-Ninja-Steel-

Sarah looked to the wreckage in her neighbourhood, sighing to herself as she let it sink in that this was caused by her actions. Fortunately, the damage wasn't as bad as the rest of the city. Only one clone had been in the area, and he hadn't quiet started his destruction of the suburbs. At the time of the attack, most people had still been at work or on their way home. Galvanax had targeted areas with many people, so downtown and population bus stations. A few rolled over cars, some power lines were down, and some homes with minor damage was the worst of it.

It made her guilt worse. A part of her had hoped her home was destroyed, along with everything inside of it. That way, at least she would suffer from the consequences of her own actions. But to see only a window had been shattered and some landscaping would have to be done, she knew she got off easy. Innocent people had lost their lives. Sarah's mother's car was still in the driveway.

"Sarah?" her step mother called as she rushed out of the house in a panic, her cell phone in her hand. Seeing Sarah coming up the front yard she ran over and took her step daughter in her arms. "Oh thank GOD! I've been calling everyone! Where have you been?"

Sarah shook her head, "I managed to find somewhere away from the monsters. I'm okay. You?"

"I'm fine. I made it home right as the attacks started," her step mother said with a faint smile, which dropped as soon as she put her cell phone to her ear. "Dammit, still nothing."

"Who are you calling?"

"Your dad," her step mother answered her. "He's not home. I'm worried he stayed late again."

"He'll come home," Sarah promised her. She imagined that would be her luck – or her punishment. How sickening would it be if everyone she knew was okay? She caused all this trouble and her home, her family, were all fine? She would never be able to live with that guilt. She had taken parents away from children, children away from parents, and killed entire families. Yet hers was okay? It wasn't fair. "I'm sure traffic is a bitch right now."

Her step mother let out a faint laugh. It wasn't a genuine laugh, though Sarah's joke wasn't genuinely a joke. Both were trying to lighten the mood for the other, in spite of their deep worry and guilt over what had happened.

"I'll keep trying," her step mother insisted. "You head inside. Get cleaned up. Do whatever you need to put this behind you. If you need anything, I'll be on the phone. Just find me."

Sarah nodded her head and made her way inside the house. She walked up to her bedroom and dropped onto her bed. She let out a loud groan and then rolled over and punched her pillow as hard as she could.

She hated what her clones had caused. She hated that she had the fate of the world in her hands and she let everyone down.


	2. Sarah's Secret

It was a late night for Sarah. Long after the fight with the clone Galvanaxs, she found herself wide awake. Her mind was both exhausted and racing as she waited to hear on news from her father, who had yet to come home.

The city was a disaster. She had to remind herself of that. Because of her technology, there was so much damage and people were dead. Waiting on her father to come home was a reasonable consequence for her. In fact, she felt she deserved so much more, since, if she had only been more careful, none of this would have happened. All the people lost in the attack would still be alive.

Still, this would be less torturous if she knew, at the end of the wait, her father would come home. She had been confident at first, but as reports came in claiming they were locating many of the missing people, Sarah began to worry. Of course, some of the missing people were turning up alive, but as the night wore on, more and more people were being found dead.

Her father had no reason to be so late. He wasn't working in any of the more destroyed parts of the city. His office building hadn't been one to crumble. And Sarah knew fate would be cruel by allowing her family to survive her mistake while hundreds of others paid the price.

At least, that was what she had thought. Now, she was starting to think fate had something else in mind.

Very quietly, the door to her room opened. A sliver of light shone in just as her step-mother poked her head inside. When she saw Sarah was awake and on her phone, she opened the door wide and walked in, turning on the light.

"Have you heard from him?"

Sarah shook her head. She didn't bother to ask the same question in return. She assumed her mother would have let her know if her father had come home or was on his way. With a sigh, her step mother approached the bed and sat down.

"I'm beyond worried at this point," she said honestly to Sarah. "I'm not helping myself either. The mayor announced he would be covering some of the funeral expenses for some families and I looked to see if we would qualify and… I can't think like that."

"Jenny…"

"I know, really, it doesn't matter what I think," her step mother went on. "He either survived or he didn't, and nothing about what I believe right now will change that, but in times like this, people are always told to stay positive," Jenny started to chuckle lightly, "I guess I never really wondered why. Do you think it hurt less, if you've been optimistic before bad news?"

"I think it hurts regardless," Sarah answered her step-mother.

"Well, he's going to turn up," Jenny stated, though her voice wavered slightly, betraying her confident tone. "I mean, they're still looking, and even though it's not many, some people are still alive. We could be the lucky ones, right?"

Sarah didn't know if she agreed or not. She didn't think she had the same definition of lucky as her step-mother did. Of course, if her father returned home alive, Sarah would consider herself lucky. At the same time, if her father was dead, Sarah would pay the price for her mistake. At least she wouldn't have to live with the guilt of knowing that everything in her life ended up being okay while she simultaneous ruined the lives of hundreds of other people and their families.

She was rooting for the former, though. With her father by her side, she could learn to cope with the guilt.

Jenny noticed her step-daughter's unusual silence. She hadn't known Sarah her whole life, but the younger woman had always been full of hope and energy and excitement. When Jenny and her husband first revealed to Sarah that they were dating, Sarah had been more than happy for them. She had embraced Jenny as part of her life. When she learned her father and Jenny were going to be married, she had the same reaction. When they told her they were going to move to a new city and Sarah would have to go to a new school, Sarah still reacted positively. Jenny had begun to wonder if there was anything that could shake her step-daughter, or if Sarah was an eternal optimist; doomed to always seeing the bright side.

It seemed she had her answer today. There was something that could break the younger woman's spirit. Jenny just wished she was more equipped to handle it.

She tried her best, and started with putting a hand on Sarah's leg.

"No matter what, you still have me," she said with a little smile. She didn't want to focus on the idea that her husband was dead, but that had to be what had Sarah so worried and quiet. "I'm still going to be here. This will still be your home. We'll get through it all together. You know that, right?"

Sarah nodded her head, but didn't seem anymore comforted. Jenny tried again.

"Your home is with me," she added. "You weren't part of the package. I married you too, and I really meant it."

Sarah nodded her head again. Still, there seemed to be something wrong. Jenny tried once more.

"Kid, I love you."

"I did it," Sarah whispered. Jenny frowned.

"Sorry?"

"The monster, he cloned himself using my technology."

Jenny paused, her brow raising just a bit. Sarah was smart. It had been the first thing her husband had told her about his daughter when they first met, and it had been said as a warning before he introduced them. Jenny hadn't been sure what he meant at first. Plenty of people were smart. Plenty of children were smart, but Bill hadn't been talking about regular straight A student kind of smart.

Sarah never needed help with her homework, except for many reminders to do it. Jenny wasn't sure Sarah went to school to learn anything academically, but more just to be able to socialize with kids her own age. She couldn't see how a child who would design and create her own working hover board could benefit from any regular run of the mill science class, even if she was a grade ahead. She couldn't understand how a child who could solve complicated math problems in her head in a matter of seconds could benefit from a regular math class.

Sarah didn't see academic struggles. She saw challenges, and she had always been able to overcome those challenges.

Outside of school, Sarah thrived on problems. They inspired her to come up with many wacky inventions. Jenny remembered her first Mother's Day as Sarah's step-mother being gifted with a toaster that would toast, spread, plate and serve breakfast in the morning. Sarah's inspiration had been hearing Jenny complain that she always had to get up earlier than everyone else in the house to make sure her husband and step-daughter ate a real meal. Now, breakfast was ready for everyone as soon as they came to the kitchen. All Jenny needed to do was program it the night before.

So, when Bill told Jenny how he once had to visit the principal's office because Sarah had taken the class pencil sharpener and upgraded it to sharpen three pencils at once (an act of vandalism, the principal had called it), Jenny was not surprised. She was, however, surprised to hear Sarah not only felt she had invented an actual cloning machine, but that the aliens in this city had used it to cause this much trouble.

"Your technology?"

"They used my holo-clones," Sarah nodded her head. She wanted to confess to someone, but was still trying to be vague about the details so as not to reveal herself as a Ranger to her step-mother. "They got their hands on one and that's how that monster was able to make eight of himself."

"And you believe that?"

"I know it," Sarah insisted. Jenny wasn't sure what to do here. All the parenting books Bill had offered never covered what to do when your step-daughter claimed aliens had used her cloning technology for evil. She scratched behind her ear as she looked to Sarah.

"Seriously?"

Sarah nodded her head again. Jenny decided to believe her step-daughter, if anything, just to figure out how Sarah could believe herself on this. "Okay, let's say they did."

"They did."

"How did they get your cloning technology?"

"One of my clones was in the forest outside the city," Sarah said. "I had her out there with my friends while I was in the school keeping an eye on the other clones I created to help me fulfill all my extra-curricular. That Sarah malfunctioned and my friends didn't know enough about what happened to take home the holo-projector that created her. A monster must have seen what happened, collected it and adapted the technology himself."

So far, Jenny had to admit, Sarah's story sounded believable. Sarah had been talking about joining more school activities so she could put that on her college applications. She had signed up for many and Jenny herself had wondered how Sarah would juggle them all. As far as she knew, if anyone could create a cloning machine, it would be Sarah.

It was hard to believe, but there really was nothing farfetched about the story.

"Okay, so that monster stole your technology," she said. "It was only meant to be used for extra curricular, right?"

"It was just the prototype," Sarah nodded her head. "But I should have…"

"You didn't hand it over to the monster," Jenny reasoned.

"But when I knew one went missing…"

"You had no reason to think a monster even knew your holo-projector was missing," Jenny continued. "So, I know it doesn't feel that way, but it's not your fault. That monster is still to blame."

"You'll say that even if dad doesn't come home?" Sarah asked. Jenny took a moment to answer only because she wanted to be sure she was answering with the truth.

"Sarah, in all the time I've known you, you've never tried to hurt anyone," she said. "Anything you do build, you do it to make people's lives better and easier. I don't have a single doubt about this. You are not responsible."

Sarah shrugged her shoulders. Jenny moved in closer.

"I mean it, kid."

"Jenny…"

"I'll be angry if your father is dead," Jenny said. "But not with you."

"And when all those people look for someone to blame."

"Do they have any reason to think it was you?"

Sarah shook her head. She had been careful with her clones so as not to get caught. As of now, only her team and her step-mother knew about the technology.

"Then they'll blame the monster who did this," Jenny pointed to Sarah's phone, where the updates from the aftermath of the attack were still coming in. "And the way I see it, that blame isn't misplaced. You didn't create those clones to hurt anyone. You didn't clone that monster yourself. You didn't attack the city. He did. He's responsible. And I know that's hard to believe. I know you might never fully believe it, or me, but that's the truth."

"And what about dad?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Jenny said. "One way or another, I guess. In the meantime, you can trust what I said before. I'll still be here for you. This will always be your home."

"Thank you," Sarah nodded her head leaned into her step-mother. Jenny hugged her tight.

"Thank you for trusting me," she said with a smile.


	3. It's Not Real(Until You Say It Out Loud)

The following day, Sarah's hopefulness that her father would turn up was really starting to fade. She knew there were still people missing, and while most of them were being found dead, there were the few who managed to survive. Sarah hoped her father was out there somewhere trying to make his way home, but she had spent the whole night calculating the odds in her head and every scenario she played over left her with little to hope for.

She didn't want to believe he was gone, but it was looking rather grim. Still, for the sake of her step-mother, Sarah tried to remain positive. It wasn't until she returned home from a ride on her hover board and she saw her step-mother showing a lawyer out of the house that Sarah realized Jenny had come to the same conclusion as her.

Seeing her step-daughter home a little early, Jenny's face turned white. While she wanted to hold onto hope that her husband was still alive, she wanted to make sure she had her bases covered in case he never returned. She wanted to be sure his insurance, the house, and especially Sarah were taken care of.

"Sarah, I…"

"It's been three days," Sarah interrupted, before her step-mother could feel poorly over the unplanned meeting. "I think we both put the pieces together."

"They have grief counsellors in the school," Jenny insisted. Though Summer Cover hadn't yet resumed classes since the attack, it was the best site for helping the community, since the school itself had suffered little damage and was large enough to host a crowd of people. Food banks, counsellors and other organizations had set up there to help the survivors. "I'll go with you, if that makes you more comfortable."

Sarah shook her head. She didn't think she would need counselling. It hadn't yet set in that her father was gone, though everything did feel a little… off right now. She was sure that, in time, she would have to grieve her father but for now she was numb.

It had to be the lack of a body. She hadn't yet seen her father dead, so while the logical part of her mind knew the worst had happened, there was a part of her that was, reluctantly, holding onto hope.

She had a better understanding now for why Brody was so insistent on finding his brother after all these years. A part of him wanted to think that maybe he was still waiting for him; and Brody didn't want to give up on that feeling.

"You know, Sarah, if you ever need to talk…" Jenny started but Sarah either didn't want to hear it, or didn't hear it at all. The pink Ranger walked up to her room and shut the door. Jenny watched from the front door, sighing to herself as she realized the trouble she was in.

While she had been more than happy to have a step-daughter when she married Bill, and was more than happy to agree to be Sarah's guardian in the event anything happened to her husband, she had strong doubts that would ever be the case. She never imagined she would be thrown into the world of a single parent. Now, not only was she a single parent, but she was the single parent of a grieving teenager.

" _There's really no to-do book"_ she remembered Bill saying right after Jenny found herself having to discipline Sarah for the first time. She felt poorly for having done so because Sarah had stormed off to her room and yelled that she hated her. Jenny had been convinced she had done something wrong, but Bill had only laughed as he had watched the scene unfold. _"You kind of just take all the parenting books and try different stuff until you find something that sticks. Then your kid grows a little more and you do it all over again."_

" _So I'll never figure this out?"_

" _When you do, can you fill me in?"_ Bill was still laughing. _"My dad told me once, as long as you're trying to do what's best for them, you're doing it right."_

Jenny took in a deep breath and wiped a tear away from her eye. It was the best advice she had right now and it had come from Sarah's father himself. She would figure it all out as she went, but she would do her very best to get it right.

She walked upstairs. She didn't think Sarah was ready to talk just yet, but wanted her to know that she was available to listen. She knocked on Sarah's door gently and spoke through the wood.

"I'll be around, if you want to talk about anything," she said. "Anything at all. Even if it's just gadgets and stuff. My ears are open."

With that, Jenny made her way down to the kitchen to make sense of the papers the lawyer had left for her.

Up in her room, Sarah heard Jenny's words through the door and considered making her way downstairs to speak with her, but she wasn't sure what to say yet. As she tried to sort it all out in her head, her communicator beeped. She picked it up and brought it close to her mouth.

"Yeah?"

"Any news?" it was Preston's voice. Sarah knew he was calling to check up on her. She shook her head and answered.

"Nothing yet. It's not looking good."

"He could be out there?" she knew what the blue Ranger meant to do. He wanted to try and make her feel better by reminding her that there was a chance her father had survived and that he would return home. After all, even a slim chance was enough. Sarah had her doubts though, and wished Preston knew that trying to be hopeful wasn't really helping at all.

"It's been way too long," Sarah insisted. "He'd have come back now."

"You just never know."

"Jenny saw the lawyer. She's convinced he's not coming back."

"There's a lot to consider for her," Preston said. Sarah shook her head again.

"I think he's dead," she told him. There was a silence on the other end. Sarah didn't like that silence. The longer it took Preston to respond, the more time she had to consider what she had just said. Although it had been on her mind for some time now, she had never uttered those words out loud.

Saying it made it feel more real. Suddenly, it all hit her. It was only then Preston answered her.

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

Sarah felt the tears flood her eyes. Now it was her turn to remain silent. Preston didn't seem to enjoy the silence either, as he spoke up after just a minute.

"I'm coming over, okay?" he said. "I'll bring the others. We'll be here for you, I promise."


	4. Calvin's Pep Talk

For Summer Cove, life was slowly returning to normal after the attack. For Sarah Thompson, life would never be the same again.

Despite all their attempts, her father had yet to be located. So much time had passed, it was hopeless to wish he was still alive. As much as Sarah wanted to cling onto hope that there was a miracle waiting for her whenever she returned home, she didn't like to believe in what she couldn't understand. Right now, all she could understand that was hundreds of people were dead and even more families had been destroyed. Hers was one.

School had resumed, though they were a little light on classes. Since many students were still grieving the loss of a family member or friend, school was mostly in session so that classmates could support each other and have access to counsellors. Sarah and her teammates had opted to return to school so they could be together.

However, even in the Ranger Base, where Sarah used to have no trouble getting her spirits to lift, she was having a rough time. The fear of creating another weapon that Galvanax could use against her was keeping her from wanting to invent anything new. All she felt safe doing was working on her hover board, tuning it to make it move a little faster.

"You never get used to them not being around," Calvin said as he took a seat next to Sarah. All the other Rangers were also trying to keep busy. They did so by watching Preston perform a few magic tricks. Sarah, usually the magician's biggest fan, had retreated to the back of the room to work; a clear sign that something wasn't right.

"You speak from experience?"

"My grandma died when I was seven. We were really close." Calvin nodded his head, and Sarah felt a little guilty for asking.

Oh, sorry."

"No sweat," Calvin smiled. "It was tough at first. Sometimes it still is, you know. Like I said, you never get used to them not being around."

"Great," Sarah rolled her eyes and muttered sarcastically.

"You learn to live without them, though. And I guess that's all you can hope for. It's not like you ever stop needing them."

"Is this supposed to cheer me up?"

"Kinda," Calvin chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, I don't talk about my grandmother much and I am trying here. Give me a little credit."

"Alright, you have one more try," Sarah set her tools down and turned to the yellow Ranger. He took a big breath.

"What I'm trying to say is that you will feel okay at some point. And until you do, talking about it to us, to teachers, or even to your mother…"

"Step-mother."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Long story," Sarah breathed.

"Okay. And your step mother is…"

"Good," Sarah said. "Nothing like what you hear in fairy tales."

"So talk to her. Or anyone. Just make sure you talk," Calvin said. "I'll even let you borrow my girlfriend if that helps. Hayley's awesome with the heart to heart stuff."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"I'm just saying," Calvin smirked, then he nudged Sarah gently and pointed to Preston, "Or, you know, you could use our man in blue over there as a shoulder to cry on. Get things… moving between you two."

"Moving?" Sarah asked. Calvin nodded his head.

"Yeah. Oh, come on, we all see the way you two look at each other. And it's so obvious you love his magic shows. You know I like the guy but… his tricks could use a little work."

"You think?" Sarah started to chuckle. Calvin was happy to see a smile on her face, but he wasn't entirely sure what for. Sarah started to laugh a little harder, "You… you actually thought Preston and I…?"

"What? What did I say?" Calvin asked and then Sarah gave him a look. He was curious for a moment before it sunk in. "Okay, ha-ha. I get it, it's 2017 and all, but is it really that weird that I thought you and him would be a good couple?"

"That's not what I find funny," Sarah chuckled. "I'm just… overly friendly with everyone and you're like, the hundredth person to assume I'd be dating someone when we're actually just good friends."

"So you're… not?"

"I am."

"Oh. Cool," Calvin nodded his head, but admittedly he wasn't sure how to respond here. "Uh, you know, when I said you could borrow Hayley…"

"I know," Sarah chuckled. "Don't worry."

"I mean, not that I wouldn't be cool with…"

"Calvin, you can not want me to steal your girlfriend _and_ not be homophobic at the same time," Sarah smirked.

"Right. Sorry. It's just… I've never actually met a… lesbian."

"Bisexual."

"What?"

"Bisexual," Sarah repeated. "As in I like guys and girls."

"Oh. Well, I've never met one before."

"You know what that means?" Sarah asked him, and Calvin shook his head. "Well, the first time you meet a bisexual, you've got to buy them lunch."

"Seriously?"

"How else are you going to prove that you're okay with it?" Sarah asked. Calvin tried to examine her face to see if she was joking, but her expression hadn't changed at all, and part of him was inclined to believe her. As he hesitantly reached for his wallet to be sure he had enough money on him, Sarah started to laugh, "Wow, that's three times in a row that it worked!"

"What?"

"First Preston, then Mick, which wasn't a huge surprise, now you," Sarah smiled. "Now I've just got to get Brody and Hayley."

"Are you… Seriously?"

"Hey, you're the one who said you've never 'met a bisexual' before. As much as I appreciate being a unicorn to you, that's not exactly the best way to appear cool."

"Well, you caught me off guard," Calvin defended. "I came over here to comfort you about your dad."

"On the bright side, it kind of worked," Sarah smirked with a little shrug. "Good work."

"Thanks."


	5. Uncle Red

It was hard for Sarah to move on with the idea that her father was gone. She wasn't sure what the future would look like without him, though she was sure she would get back on her feet again. One thing she knew; she was resilient. She had survived her mother, survived starting her life again, and she had survived moving to Summer Cove. With her friends by her side, she would make it through this too.

One thing she wasn't sure about though was her stepmother. Jenny had put up a brave front for Sarah since her father disappeared. She had done everything she could to ensure her husband's business was wrapped up nicely and that Sarah would remain in her custody. It promised a smooth transition for the high school girl. However, when Sarah returned home early from school that night, she caught her stepmother on the couch in tears, sobbing loudly. Sarah set down her board, removed her helmet and rushed to Jenny's side.

"Jenny…"

"Sarah!" Jenny gasped and started to wipe her eyes, trying to hide her tears. Both she and Sarah knew it was too late for that, though. "I… I thought you would be with your friends?"

"Calvin and Hayley had a date, Brody had some things to take care of and Preston's parents wanted him home," Sarah said. "I thought I'd just come home."

"Well, everything is fine here…"

"Jenny…"

"Sarah, you don't need to worry about me," Jenny smiled. "How are you? How was school?"

"It was good," Sarah answered. She looked to her stepmother sadly, "Jenny, are you sure you're okay?"

"I am."

"Do you want to talk?"

"It's okay."

"Do you want me to call someone?" Sarah asked. She assumed her stepmother was doing what any parent would do and not lean on her in a rough time for the them both. Sarah appreciated that her stepmother was trying to remain strong for her sake, but she didn't like the thought of her stepmother grieving alone. There had to be someone she could trust.

"I'm fine."

"Jenny," Sarah stated and looked to her mother insistently. Jenny knew Sarah wasn't to be argued with. The younger woman was quite stubborn. She wasn't sure where her stepdaughter had inherited that gene from. Her father, though he could stand his ground when it was needed, wasn't a stubborn man, and Jenny didn't know her mother well enough to say either way.

"My brother," Jenny sighed, giving into Sarah's insistence. "His number is in my phone, in my purse."

Sarah nodded her head and got up to get the cell phone from her mother's purse. She hardly knew her family on her stepmother's side. There had been a couple of reunions over the years, and Sarah had gotten the chance to say hello to everyone at their wedding, but her family mostly lived out of state and didn't have many opportunities to visit. Only her brother lived nearby.

Sarah called his number and waited for him to pick up. When he did, she confirmed it was him, "Shane?"

"Sarah?" he must have recognized that the voice wasn't his sisters and assumed. Sarah nodded her head.

"Yep."

"I've, uh… been meaning to call," Shane said on the other end. "Is Jenny okay?"

Sarah glanced over to the living room and shrugged her shoulders. "She's fine, I guess. She really misses dad though."

"I'm so sorry about that…"

"Thanks," Sarah said, feeling a little awkward. She was never sure how to respond to those sympathetic apologies. Thank you seemed about right, and yet completely wrong at the same time. "Um, she could really use someone to talk too."

"I'm just finishing up a class," Shane said. "I can be over in a couple of hours."

"Great!"

"I'll bring dinner with me," Shane insisted. "Is there… um, Do you have a guest bedroom in your new place for me to stay? It'll already be a little late by the time I get there and…"

"We have a guest room you can stay in," Sarah nodded her head. "Thank you, Shane."

"Hey, anything for my niece," Shane answered her. "Any requests for dinner?"

"I'm not picky," Sarah said, then she hung up the phone and returned it to her stepmother. Jenny looked to her with a smile.

"Thank you."

"I'll get the guest room ready."

"I'll do it," Jenny jumped up from the couch and quickly started to make her way upstairs. Sarah rushed to catch her, grabbing her arm before she could go.

"Jenny, it's okay. It's okay if you miss him."

"I know that," Jenny smiled. "I'm okay, Sarah."

"I'm sixteen," Sarah said. "I'm not six. You don't have to fake it for me. When Shane comes, at least let him take care of you. Please?"

Jenny nodded her head, took Sarah's hand and squeezed it gently, "You're a good kid, you know that?"

Sarah smiled, happy she could help. Her stepmother headed upstairs to prepare the guest room and Sarah walked to her bag to grab her textbooks. Though her teachers hadn't assigned homework, Sarah figured there was no harm in getting ahead. Not to mention, studying had always been a good distraction for her in a hard time.

A couple hours into her study session, there was a knock at the door. Sarah knew who it was, but let her stepmother answer the door. Shane walked in, gave her stepmother a big hug and then two of them went to the living room for a chat. Sarah was certain she heard a few sobs, but for the most part, their conversation was quiet. Though Sarah had insisted she was old enough to be able to see her stepmother cry, it seemed like they were still trying to keep her out of it.

She paused her studying a bit to have dinner, and she checked up on her friends over her phone while she ate. Once her meal was done, she was back to studying. It wasn't until Shane walked into the kitchen for a late-night snack that she noticed she had spend the whole night with her nose in her textbook.

"Is that your hoverboard in the hallway?" Shane asked her. Sarah nodded her head.

"Yeah."

"Maybe I could give it a try tomorrow? Compare it to my own."

"Hoverboard?"

"Skateboard," Shane chuckled. "I'm not the techy one. Porter, my brother, used to think if I spend as much time studying as I did on my board, I would have done something better with my life."

"That sounds a bit mean."

"Our world views didn't line up for a while. It wasn't until I was just a little older than you that we really started to get along."

"Cool," Sarah nodded her head.

Shane nodded as well, then sighed. He made his way over to the table and pulled out a chair. He sat down across from Sarah, looked to her notes and then up at her.

"How are you holding up?" he asked. Sarah shrugged.

"So-so, I guess. It really depends."

Shane nodded again, "Uh, Jenny said you told her that this happened because some of those monsters got their hands on your technology? That's got to be hard, when you think about it."

Sarah really wished her hadn't brought that up. She had done well, so far, distracting herself from that reality. Tears started to well up in her eyes.

"It was a stupid mistake…"

"Hey, what those monsters do, you can't blame yourself for it," Shane insisted. "They're ruthless and vile and they'll take any advantage they can to cause trouble. You don't blame the gun for the murder. You blame the guy who used it."

"That doesn't erase the guilt, though," Sarah said. "Hundreds of people are dead because I didn't think the monsters would care about my technology. I should have considered…"

"Sarah, you had no way of knowing the monsters were even aware of what you could do," Shane insisted. "Their focus isn't on you. In my experience, they're so wrapped up with defeating the Rangers that…"

"In your experience?" Sarah asked. Shane had a brief look of fear on his face.

"Uh… yeah. Blue Bay Harbour had some monster troubles too. It was over a decade ago so I don't think you'd remember but we had the Ninja Storm Rangers fighting to keep up safe. Except for a few times, civilians weren't really… part of the plan."

Sarah gave a little nod, but she hadn't missed the way her uncle reacted when she challenged him on his words. She hadn't really meant to challenge him, but something felt strange about the way he seemed to be speaking to her from experience. Like he knew exactly what she was going through.

She tried to clear that thought from her head. There was no way he could have meant anything by what he said. Then again, he was a martial arts teacher in Blue Bay, and he had lived in the city at the same time as the monster attacks.

Sarah furrowed her brows. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Blue Bay Harbour was an extreme sports town. They loved motocross, skateboarding and surfing, among other outdoor extreme activities. Martial arts, from what she knew, wasn't a popular sport down there. In fact, there were very few dojos where students could learn. When Sarah had asked Jenny once which one her brother taught at, Jenny herself couldn't think of the name.

And when she had first meant Brody, he claimed he used to live in a city called Blue Bay Harbour, and that his father had attending a special ninja Academy his whole life.

She looked to her uncle once more and noticed him squirm. She decided to challenge him.

"What colour were you?"

"Huh?"

"Ninja Storm," Sarah said. "What colour were you?"

"My favourite? I think that's got to be…"

"What colour were you?" Sarah asked again.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Shane answered. Sarah decided to push him a little more.

"Yellow?"

"Sarah…"

"Red?" she asked and pointed to his shirt. Shane pulled his sweater tighter and zipped it up. Sarah smirked. She pointed to her own shirt. "Pink is just a shade of red, you know."

Shane looked to her for a minute, but when he noticed the smirk on her face, it dawned on him where she was trying to go. He gave her a confirmation nod and then leaned in closer.

"Jenny doesn't know anything," he whispered. Sarah nodded.

"Same."

"Does anyone else know?"

"Just my team."

"Good, keep it that way," Shane nodded. "It gets complicated when family is involved."

"So you were red?" Sarah asked. Shane gave another nod.

"Pink?"

"Ninja Steel Pink."

"Ninja Storm Red."

"This is so cool," Sarah smirked. "My uncle's a Ranger."


	6. Levi Weston

The city had a different feel to it that Saturday morning. While the past couple of weeks had been dark and gloomy as people cleaned up the aftermath of the Galvanax clones, this day everything seemed brighter.

Summer Cove was bustling with life when Sarah stepped out of her house, hoverboard in hand. There were cars going by and people walking on the sidewalk. It was a strange, yet comforting sight to see. She put on her helmet and hopped on her board, zooming down the street to where she had promised to meet up with the other Rangers.

The city was so full of life because of the huge fundraiser that had been organized to help with clean up and to help the families of those who were hurt or killed in the attack. There were people from all the surrounding cities who were here to help, though Sarah was sure what had really drawn them in was the main event.

Levi Weston was a country singer who had only just hit big time fame. As with plenty of young artists, he had one big hit that everyone loved and his charm and looks carried him up even higher. He was now one of the most popular singers in the world, and he had agreed to sing in the fundraiser to help Summer Cove.

Basically, Levi Weston was in town and Sarah was not going to miss the opportunity to see him live or meet him. She and the other Rangers had planned to get together early so they could be first in line at his meet and greet. Sarah didn't have too many crushes, but Levi Weston had a way of singing that made her knees go weak. She just hoped meeting him in person wouldn't ruin that.

Except for Brody, she was the second to last one to join her friends at their meeting spot. She hopped off her board and switched her helmet for the cowboy hat she had stuffed in her bag, completing her country ensemble. It seemed Preston, Calvin, and Hayley had chosen to dress similarly for the event.

"Where's Brody?" she asked, looking to the others. Preston checked his watch.

"He shouldn't be much longer," he said. "This is the time we told him to be here."

"Does he not know when it comes to meet and greets, you have to be early?" Calvin asked. Hayley shrugged her shoulders.

"He spent the last ten years on a spaceship."

"That makes a TV show and hosts celebrities all the time," Preston pointed out. "You'd think he'd know how this works."

"Relax, you guys," Brody called out as he approached. The others turned to him and their jaws dropped. While none of them had coordinated their outfits to match the country theme of Levi Weston, it was somewhat expected that for the meet and greet you dress up. Brody was practically breaking protocol, and by the reaction on his face to his friends, he didn't even know it. "Hey, what's with the get-ups?"

"Levi Weston is a country singer," Hayley pointed out, but that did nothing to ease Brody's confusion.

"So?"

"You look like you come from the city."

"I do… sort of," Brody looked down at his outfit, which was no different from what he normally wore, and no different from what his friends normally wore as well. He couldn't understand why they were dressing strangely but making him look like the weird one. "I mean, that's where I live now. You guys are the ones who look out of place."

"Really?" Sarah asked and gestured around the block, showing Brody the crowd of people who were all dressed in a similar country theme. Brody could hardly make out anything except boots and cowboy hats. "Come on, Brody, we're meeting Levi freaking Weston."

"So?"

"Levi Weston, dude," Calvin said. Brody shrugged his shoulders.

"So? What, is he like some kind of god?"

"He's a singer," Hayley explained.

"Well all have talents," Brody pointed to each of his friends. "This Levi Weston guy is no different from anyone else. I don't see why I have to change my whole outfit just for him."

"Well, let's just hope you don't piss him off," Preston said and looked to his watch once more, "Come on, you guys! We're going to be late!"

-Ninja-Steel-

Levi always knew this had been what he signed up for. He would rarely have a moment to himself if he wanted success. His life would center around catering to the needs and the desires of his fans. He was a celebrity figure, a role model.

He was also a little overworked. He had just finished a nationwide tour when he heard what had happened in Summer Cove. Monster attacks were not out of place in this region of California, but this latest one had been costly to a lot of people, and they needed help getting back on their feet. He had been approached with the opportunity to do something to help, and he knew he couldn't pass that up. As difficult as fame was, this had always been his goal. He wanted to help people.

His day would be a busy one. He had a meet and greet in the morning, followed by a short concert for those who attended. All the money raised from food and drink sales, as well as all the money raised from his merchandise would go towards helping to rebuild the city. He hoped his presence and his selection of more upbeat and empowering songs would help raise the spirits of the people hurt most.

When he stepped out of his trailer for the meet and greet, there was a line up miles long of people waiting just for him. He knew this would happen. He knew it was going to be a lot, but he put on a smile. This wasn't for him. He had scheduled time off following this event, and while he couldn't wait to finally put his feet up and relax for a couple of weeks, this needed to be done.

He greeted everyone then sat down at his table. In small groups, fans approached him, each one wanting an autograph. They were all dressed in their best country outfits, which he knew they had put on just for him considering Summer Cover was a rather big city. One by one they told him how his music had changed their lives, but it was usually the same old story told in hundreds of different ways. He was glad to see he had helped them out, but was a little disheartened to hear that most of the time, it was his hit songs they referred to and not the other songs on his album.

The meet and greet was only supposed to last an hour so Levi could have a little lunch before his concert, but there were so many people who wanted to see him and they were so excited to have him. He saw the joy on their face whenever they approached his table and he knew this was what he needed, so he pushed through. By the end of the added hour he was exhausted, but the line was close to over. Just a few more.

A group of five teenagers approached his table and they seemed somewhat like a mismatched group. Four of them were dressed up for him, one seemed to be wearing what they normally had on. The boy in yellow and the girl in white were holding hands and leaning on each other affectionally. The boy in blue seemed to have a magician wand sticking out of his back pocket that he had failed to hide completely and the girl in pink was carrying what looked like a futuristic skateboard. The four held out his CDs. The one in red, who was dressed as he normally would, didn't seem to have anything he wanted to have signed. It looked like he was just tagging along with his friends. This caught Levi's eye, as he was the only person Levi had ever met who would wait for hours for no reason other than to support his friends. As Levi signed the CDs, he looked to him.

"Anything I can sign?"

"Just here with my friends," Brody said. "To be honest, I don't listen to music much."

"Brody!" the girl in pink scolded and slapped him on the arm. Levi laughed and shook his head.

"No, no, it's okay. I know not everyone can be a fan."

"It's not that I'm not a fan," Brody said. "I've heard some of your songs and they seem pretty cool. I just don't know what the big deal is."

"So you're saying my music doesn't resonate with you?" Levi asked. He could see Brody's friends were glaring at him, likely embarrassed that Brody wasn't star-struck Levi, however, found Brody's attitude was a breath of fresh air, even though he wasn't necessary glad to hear Brody wasn't getting the point of his music.

"No, no, the music is good, it's just… Singing is just a talent, and we all have one. I mean, I don't see people lining up for Sarah's autograph because she built her own hoverboard."

"A hoverboard?" Levi asked and turned to the girl in pink with the futuristic board. She blushed as he looked to her and nodded her head. She held up the board.

"I built it myself."

"She's good with inventing things," Brody said and Levi noticed Sarah's face turning even more pink, almost to match her shirt as her friend was talking her up. For a moment, Levi thought maybe this was an act. Millions of girls had crushes on him, and would say or do anything to try and earn a date. "So what makes your talent different from any of ours?"

Levi looked to Brody and shrugged his shoulder, "To be honest, I'm not that sure."

"That accent really helps, though," Hayley whispered to Calvin, who nodded his head.

"Preston does magic, and no one lines up to see him," Brody continued. Preston gasped.

"Hey! That's a little mean!"

"Sorry, Preston, I'm just saying, why should Levi get all the attention when what he does is no different from the rest of us?"

"Okay, we're just going to go," Hayley said and grabbed Brody by the arm before he really pissed of Levi. However, the country singer shook his head.

"Actually, I kind of like the way your friend here thinks," he said. "I've been surrounded by fans and yes-men for the past year and so it's kind of nice to see there's someone out there who is willing to treat me like a regular guy."

"Really?" the four asked and Levi nodded his head. He then pointed to his trailer.

"As long as the rest of you don't get too fan-ish over me, how about you guys join me for a quick lunch?"

"S-Seriously?" Sarah asked. Levi smiled.

"Yeah. You look like a fun group. And I would love to see some magic tricks and hear about that hoverboard."

Sarah and Preston looked to each other, eyes wide that Levi wanted to know more about them. They had waited in line for two hours to meet them, and now he was interested in them. They were quick to nod yes, and with the rest of their friends they followed Levi inside his trailer for a quick lunch.


	7. Science And Art

Levi enjoyed having people in his trailer. It wasn't that he didn't often have company. While on tour, it seemed like there was someone with him all the time. However, having this group of teens, something felt very different – like they had known each other for ever.

For the most part, he was still Levi Weston, country super star. They were admiring his trailer and were curious about his life just like the usual fans were. But they weren't over the top about it. It felt more like making a new friend than it did a usual meet and greet. These five had gotten over their star struck demeanor faster than he anticipated.

It was refreshing.

"So, what made you want to do this event?" Brody asked him and Levi shrugged his shoulders.

"I just want to do what I can to help," he said. "And if a performance and a meet and greet can make everyone in this city feel even just a little better, then I'm happy to do it."

"That's so sweet," Hayley said with a bit of a smile, which Levi noted seemed to bring on a jealous look on Calvin's face. It hadn't taken him long to notice that the two of them were a couple, given they were holding hands and always standing close to each other. Hayley quickly put Calvin at ease, taking his hand once again and giving him a little squeeze. Now it was Levi's turn to feel a pang of jealousy. His whole life he had always wanted a relationship like that. He wanted to have a partner to depend on, someone who could make him feel better with just a touch of her hand. He wanted someone who could make him smile just by walking in the room. He wanted someone in his life who, just by being around her, made him strive to be a better person.

Foolishly, he thought becoming a nationwide celebrity would have no impact on his dating life. Sure, he realized he would probably be dating more celebrity types, and he figured his relationships would be a little more public than he wanted, but he thought he would still be able to pursue his goal of finding the one. He was quickly proven wrong, when his first few dates with celebrities proved to be too much of an invasion of his privacy, and his dates with regular people seemed to always end with them loving him more for his fame than for who he really was.

"Music has a way of healing me," Levi said to the group before him. "Whenever I have a hard time, writing music, or even just listening to it, always helped me feel better. If I can be that source of hope for others, I want to do everything I can."

"That's kind of how I feel about magic," Preston stated, and Levi noted a look in his eyes that was familiar, but different at the same time. Usually, when a fan realized they had something in common with him, they would become giddy and almost incoherent. It would make him feel good to know that he was still relatable to regular people, but then they seemed to use that to boost themselves up instead of reminding themselves that he was human, just like them. Preston had that look on his face, however it was without the latter part. He seemed happy to see that there was something he could relate to with the celebrity, and that was it. "Practicing and performing always make me feel like I'm doing something important, and when I get to share that with other people, it makes me feel like I'm helping them… well, when they watch, that is."

"Sometimes it's hard to get people to listen to you at first," Levi stated. "You just need to find what sets you apart from everyone else, otherwise your voice, or magic, in your case, gets drowned out by everyone else."

"Interesting," Preston said and stroked his chin. He never thought of it that way. For as long as he could remember, he had been the only student in school who showed any interest in magic. He thought that would be enough to make him mysterious and make others want to watch him to see what he could do. He never considered the idea that all his tricks were based off what other magicians had done before. None of his tricks were uniquely his. "Thanks!"

"No problem at all," Levi nodded his head. "It's really not about what you can do. It's what you can offer the world. Once you know what that is, at least in my experience, that's when you find success."

"I'll remember you told me that," Preston said.

"Please do," Levi smiled. "I'll be waiting for a ticket to your biggest show."

"No doubt," Preston said and his mind was already buzzing with new tricks and how to make them his own. Levi smiled again as he saw how he could help, then he turned to the others. "You know, it's amazing how much people start to listen to you when you're famous. I'll bet you if I was just anyone dishing out advice, no one would believe me."

"The fame does help," Hayley agreed. Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Food's ready, Levi," his manager said, poking his head inside for a moment to make the announcement and then heading back out. Levi nodded his head and turned to his new friends.

"There's always plenty to eat. If you guys are hungry, you can help yourselves."

"Sweet. I am starved!" Calvin announced and was quick to head out for food. Hayley was right behind him, shaking her head at her boyfriend's hunger. He had eaten a big breakfast in anticipation of a long wait and packed himself a couple of power bars which he had already eaten. He for sure had a hollow leg that left him in a permanent state of hunger.

Preston followed them out, muttering something about a disappearing act. Sarah stayed behind, looking for somewhere safe to leave her hoverboard while she ate and Brody waited as well. He looked to Levi.

"Don't take offense to this, but I really don't understand the big deal," he said. "This trailer, the lines, the concert… All because you can sing?"

"I find it pretty unbelievable myself," Levi nodded his head. "Sometimes I have to remember, this isn't really normal."

"So then why make such a big fuss? You're clearly no different from anyone else. Again, no offense."

"None taken," Levi said. "Honestly, though, if it were up to me, I'd still be writing songs in my room and performing in bars back home. I'd know all my fans by name and my concerts would be free."

"So how come it's not like that?"

"Because this is the price I pay for wanting to reach as many people as I can," Levi said. "Music is a form of medicine and I want to help the world."

"Well, my friends may still be a little star-struck, but don't expect me to treat you like you're better than any of us," Brody said and Levi breathed out in relief.

"Call me crazy, but I'm so glad you said that," Levi smiled. "It's been so hard to find someone who'll treat me like… normal."

"Well, that's about all you can expect from me," Brody said and pat Levi on the shoulder before he turned to Sarah, "You coming?"

"I just want to make sure my hoverboard is safe," she called back.

"Uh, you can leave it on my bed. No one will come in here while we're out," Levi said. Brody, seeing the problem was already resolved, headed out to follow his friends. Sarah set her board down on the bed and then turned around to see Levi was waiting for her. She smiled at him, unable to believe she was here, alone in his trailer with him, setting her board down on his bed.

"Uh, thanks."

"No problem," Levi smiled and she felt her knees go weak. "So, is that really a hoverboard."

"Yeah. I, uh… I built it myself."

"You did? And it works?"

"Like I said, I built it myself," Sarah nodded. "I'm kind of an engineer. Or rather, I want to be."

"An engineer without the degree?" Levi asked and Sarah nodded again.

"Yeah. I build all this stuff in my dad's garage."

"All this stuff? So there's more?"

"It's my hobby. Or, at least, it was," Sarah said and Levi heard a sadness in her voice. As she was about to leave the trailer for something to eat, he grabbed her arm and held her back.

"What do you mean, it was? If it's something you love, you should never give up on it."

"It's kind of a long story," Sarah said. "And it doesn't end well."

"You think my singing stories always ended well?" Levi asked her. "I've been rejected so many times. Booed, laughed at, teased, mocked…"

"Anyone ever die as a result of your hobby?" Sarah asked. "You never wondered how the monster was suddenly able to clone himself?"

"I thought that was just his power."

"That was my technology he stole. And look how it ended."

"So, he stole your technology?" Levi asked. Sarah nodded. "Which means he used it in a way you never intended."

"I know, I know, this is the part where you tell me this isn't my fault. Jenny's said it, Shane's said it, all my friends have said it…"

"Look, I can't claim to know how those monsters would get your technology in the first place, but I do know it's not your fault if people misinterpreted your art."

"Engineering is a science."

"Everything is an art," Levi smiled. "And how other people choose to use it is not on you. I trust you didn't mean to hurt anyone. It's just a shame what happened."

"You wouldn't be saying that if you were here," Sarah sighed. "I'm down to one reliable parent now. I'd rather not risk it. Those monsters now know that I can build weapons and technology that they can use. They used me once. They aren't going to get the chance to do it again."

Sarah headed out of the trailer, wiping her eyes. Levi watched her go with a heaviness in his heart. Suddenly, he wasn't hungry. Instead, he sat down at his table, grabbed his pen and notepad and began to write.


	8. The Gold Ranger

Levi had no idea how this could be happening now. People fled in terror from the concert venue as foot soldiers arrived, threatening anyone who got in their path. As per protocol, Levi was rushed away from danger from his security staff, but he knew this was no longer going to be the way. He reached into his pocket, taking out the small gold star that he had picked out of a larger, transparent star one day while out on tour. He had no idea where it had come from or what it was, but since the star had appeared to him, he felt power consume him. He had used the star once to morph into a Power Ranger when he saw a robbery taking place one night after his show. He knew he was meant to use his powers to help, but he also knew he was meant to be with a team.

Part of him hoped this was all meant to be. He was now in Summer Cove where the most recent team of Rangers were fighting the monsters. While his suit looked different from the others, there were some similarities that made him think maybe he was meant to find them. He hoped this would be his chance.

Once he got away from his security team, he morphed and headed right into trouble. His suit would protect him, he knew that. He wasn't scared at all.

"Pick on someone your own size," he cried out to them, scooping a young girl out of harm's way and escorting her to safety before taking out the monsters that had threatened her. There were so many of them coming and while he knew he could handle them, he hoped the other Rangers would show up to give him a hand. He had no idea where he would find the strength to fight and then perform immediately after. "Tell your boss he picked a bad day to threaten this city."

Meanwhile, from the food table, the Rangers heard the screams and saw people fleeing. They dumped their food and rushed to the site of trouble, morphing along the way. They stopped immediately when they saw they weren't the first Rangers to arrive.

"The gold Ranger," Preston pointed out, speaking loudly enough that he got Levi's attention. Levi turned to the Rangers, tipped the rim of his cowboy hat shaped helmet and then continued to fight. "That must be where the gold Ninja Power star went."

"Looks like he needs help," Brody stated. "Come on, guys. We can make formal introductions later!"

-Ninja-Steel-

Sarah assumed that after his long rest, Galvanax was ready for another round of terror on the city. She had to admit being surprised he had taken so long to strike again, but remembered how badly he had been injured after their last encounter. He had used her own technology against her and her friends in the worst way possible, so when she had come up with a way to stop him, she hadn't held anything back. She wanted it to hurt.

Perhaps it had cost her now. The battle was long and tough, but fortunately the Rangers had the advantage of a new member. Surely Galvanax hadn't anticipated this. Sarah was sure if he had, he would have sent down an even stronger monster.

When the danger was cleared, the Rangers stood together, looking to their new comrade. He faced them and looked to each of them, as if sizing them up.

"Ninjas, huh?" he asked.

Both sides wanted to power down, but they were reluctant to do so. While they were all Rangers and ideally should have been on the same team, there was a fear that, somehow, this was a trap.

"You're a cowboy ninja?" Calvin asked.

"How fitting for you to arrive at a country concert," Hayley nodded.

"Call it destiny, I guess," Levi said. "So, who is going to do this first?"

"Together?" Brody asked. He looked to his teammates, then to the gold Ranger. All nodded, seeing no other solution. On Brody's signal, the six powered down and their jaws all dropped in shock.

"Levi?"

"You?" Levi was stunned, just as much as the other Rangers, but now knew why he had felt a connection to them. It had to be their Rangers spirit connecting with his, or something like that. Admittedly, while he was up to date with his Power Ranger knowledge, he only knew as much as any civilian could know, and most of that came from speculation and super hero tropes. "Okay, this had to be meant to be."

"I can't believe this!" Preston said, hopping slightly in excitement. "Levi Weston is the gold Ranger?"

"How is this possible?" Calvin asked.

"You tell me," Levi shrugged his shoulders and approached the teens before him. "This big star appeared to me out of nowhere one day and when I saw a smaller gold star inside it, I had this feeling it was meant for me. I pulled it out and next thing I knew, I felt… stronger."

"The gold Power Star," Brody explained. "It's one of the six that Galvanax is looking for."

"Galvanax?"

"He's the big bad terror who keeps sending down these monsters," Calvin stated. "You know, the guy there was eight of a few weeks ago."

"So we're meant to use these stars to stop him?" Levi asked and looked to his Power Star. Brody nodded his head.

"There's a lot to explain."

"But right now, we've got to get you back to your trailer," Hayley stated as emergency sirens could be heard in the background. "Before anyone gets suspicious about where you went off to."

"No one knows you're a Ranger, right?" Sarah asked him. Levi shook his head.

"I didn't think anyone should."

"Good, let's keep it that way for now," Brody said. "Come on."


	9. Good Intentions

Levi was a firm believer in the saying "the show must go on". Particularly today, when the whole purpose of his concert was to help the city heal. So while their was a delay, Levi did eventually make it on stage. He started his show with his dedication to the city, claiming he believed that true strength came in times when people needed it the most. He followed up with a couple of his hit songs to get the crowd excited. This was supposed to be a celebration, and he wanted to keep that theme going throughout. When he slowed down the concert to a simpler song, he dedicated it to those who had lost someone close to them. The plan was to then finish up with an empowering song, but Levi had one more trick up his sleeve that surprised even the musicians performing with him.

"This is a song I wrote just today. I've met a lot of people here today who have shown great strength in the face of adversity and while you have all inspired me, there's one person I met today who really touched my heart. I wrote this song for her."

The crowd grew excited, and from the stage, Levi could hear some girls swooning. He knew they were all hoping this song would be about them, and while it wouldn't bother him to know that there would be girls who were convinced he was singing about them, he hoped the one person for who the song was truly for knew it.

He sat on his stool, playing his guitar by himself. The other musicians on stage wouldn't be able to play with him, as this song was completely new to them. Levi himself felt a little nervous, as he had never actually performed the song before. Usually, by the time a song was performed live, he had already played it hundreds of times to himself and his touring company.

When the song ended, Levi's eyes roamed the crowd until he found the Rangers. Brody, Hayley, Calvin and Preston all seemed impressed with the song, and even a little shocked by it's message. Sarah's eyes seemed to scream rage. Levi gulped as he strummed the last couple of notes on his guitar. He got his wish. She knew this song was for her.

He thanked the crowd and reminded them to stay strong and stay safe through the attacks. He promised them that the Rangers would be doing their best to protect them all. Then he walked off stage. His security detail stopped his fans from ambushing him on his way to his trailer, but he had already informed them that the Rangers were safe to come near. Sarah seemed to take full advantage of that, as she rushed him halfway to his trailer and shoved him harder than he thought she could. He stumbled backwards and almost fell on his butt.

"You little prick!" she shouted. Levi put his hands up.

"It was just a little inspiration. I thought…"

"You thought? You thought what? That I'd want my story out there for all to hear?"

"Like I said, it was just inspiration. I hardly know you."

"Exactly! You hardly know me!" Sarah roared and Preston and Calvin pulled her back, as she was getting uncomfortably close to Levi at this point. "How the hell did you know about all that stuff anyways?"

"It's just from our little chat," Levi said. "You just shared that Galvanax used your cloning technology and that you were down to one parent now. You said that your hobby used to be engineering but by the way you were speaking it really sounded like you were ready to give that up. I just filled in the blanks and I guess I was on point."

"You're a real dick, you know that?"

"Come on Sarah, why don't we head back to the base?" Preston offered, tugging her a little to redirect her energy away from Levi. The gold Ranger looked to Sarah apologetically.

"All I wanted to do was inspire you not to give up on your dreams over one mistake."

"You have no idea what the story is!" Sarah shouted at him. "You have no idea who I really am or what really happened. What the hell made you think you had any right to write about me?"

"It's art," Levi shrugged, but even he knew that was a weak excuse. He had to admit he never considered the idea that Sarah would take this song as an invasion of her privacy. His songs had always been about him and his own experiences. When he did write about others, they were often flattered that they had a positive influence on his life.

"You're making a profit off my pain," Sarah growled to Levi. "I thought the Power Stars were only supposed to pick the good guys. I guess the gold star screwed up."

"Come on, Sarah," Preston encouraged her one more time and Sarah was ready to leave. She stormed off with Preston right behind her. Hayley gave Calvin's shoulder a squeeze before she started to move away.

"I'll just grab her board from the trailer," she said and Levi nodded his head. Calvin announced that he was going to follow her, leaving Levi with just Brody. He looked to the red Ranger.

"You know I didn't mean it that way, right?" Levi asked. "It's just, when she and I talked, it really seemed like she was going to give up her passion over one mistake. She was going to let Galvanax take everything from her and I really didn't want to see that happen. Since she was a fan, I thought…"

"You know, I'm really just getting to know her myself. All the Rangers. I'm as surprised as you are, though… well, part of me also isn't surprised."

"What do you mean?"

"Galvanax took my father from me too," Brody said. "If someone who I barely knew tried to use that story for their own profit…"

"This isn't for profit," Levi shook his head. "I don't care if I don't make a dime off this song. I don't care if it's a major flop. I only wrote it for one reason and that was Sarah not giving up on her dreams. I'm exactly who I said I was, Brody. I'm just a regular guy with a big-time job."

"You don't have to convince me," Brody said. "But you must admit, this does look pretty bad."

"So what do I do?" Levi asked. "I really meant no harm."

"Like I said, I'm still getting to know the team," Brody nodded. "I don't know how you can make things right. What I do know is that we're stuck together now."

Levi looked down at his gold Power Star and nodded his head, "Is she going to want to work with me?"

"She'll have to," Brody said. "Ignore what she said about not being worthy. The Power Stars will only choose someone they truly believe is good."

"I didn't want to hurt her," Levi repeated. Brody nodded his head.

"Come on. I'll show you where the base is," he said. Levi followed Brody away from the venue, all while thinking about Sarah's reaction to his song. Had he been blinded by his own fame? Had he let his celebrity status go to his head? Sarah was obviously a fan by the way she dressed, by how she had waited in line for two hours just for him to sign a CD. He had seen her singing along to all his songs with enthusiasm before the final. He remembered the way she seemed to stumble over her words when it was just the two of them alone.

She was the definition of a fan in every sense of the word. Perhaps, seeing this, a part of him believed he could do no wrong in her eyes. Since she was a fan, perhaps he had let himself believe that she would blindly love everything he did, and would be flattered and in awe that he had chosen to write a song about her. Yet, at the end of the day, none of that matter to her. He had invaded her privacy in a way she couldn't forgive, and instead of hiding it and treating him like he was untouchable, she let him have it.

"Dammit," he muttered.

-Ninja-Steel-

Preston wanted to take Sarah to the Ranger base, but by the time they got close to the school she was still furious. He knew the others would be bringing Levi by and didn't think the gold Ranger should have to deal with a second confrontation while at the same time learning about what he was about to get himself into. So Preston took her home. Sarah stormed into her house and rushed upstairs to her bedroom, alarming her step-mother and uncle as she did. Preston stood at the door and could only shrug as they looked to him.

"Would you believe we had a good time?" he asked.

"Weren't you at the concert?" Jenny asked. Preston nodded his head.

"Yeah, we were," he answered. "Let's just say things didn't go as expected."

"I'll talk to her," Shane offered. He thought since there was an attack at the concert that maybe Sarah would be more likely to open up to him if this was anything Ranger related. But Jenny shook her head.

"I'm her step-mother. I need to learn how to help," she said. "I'll take care of this. Thank you for dropping her off, Preston."

"No problem," Preston said. He headed out the door. Shane closed it then looked to his sister, who was already headed upstairs.

"You don't need to do this yourself," he told her and hoped he could convince her to change her mind. He really thought that this had something to do with Ranger business, and that Sarah would be able to get her stress off her chest with him more than with her step-mother. Jenny, however, was insistent.

"I've got this," she said. She knocked on Sarah's door and then opened it. She found her step-daughter on the bed, mindlessly flipping through her notebook of plans for future projects. Jenny pulled the desk chair over to the bed and sat down.

"At times like this, you used to retreat to the garage," she said. "I used to think you were crazy for wanting to work through tough days."

Sarah tossed her notebook aside and leaned back against her bed. Jenny continued to speak.

"So Levi wasn't who you thought he was, huh?" she asked. "You know, I was a bit worried when you said you were going to his meet and greet. Celebrities are usually never as they appear. It's part of the job."

"Everything was fine at first," Sarah muttered.

"So what happened?"

"He wrote a song about dad," Sarah said. Jenny's eyes widened.

"What? How… does he even know your father?"

Sarah shook her head. "I… I just told him about some things that happened. I don't even remember how it came up but… I guess I learned not to trusts artists."

"You told him what to write?"

"I didn't think he'd write a song about it!"

"And you know for sure it's about your dad?" Jenny asked. Sarah gave her a look that seemed like the answer was obvious. "I'm just… surprised. Levi Weston seems talented but… pulling out a song in one day about a man he never met seems a little… impossible. What makes you think it was about him?"

"I…" Sarah stammered on that point, trying to think of the exact lyric that would prove her point, but finding she couldn't. On second thought, the song seemed to be barely about her father. "It's just… a feeling I get. Either way, he shouldn't have done that."

"I agree," Jenny nodded her head. "Well, I'm sorry Levi Weston didn't live up to your expectations, Sarah. I really hoped this would be a good thing."

"Now I'm stuck with the guy," Sarah muttered and Jenny looked to her curiously. Sarah sighed, realizing she had let a little secret slip without meaning to. She looked to her step-mother. "The others and Levi are kind of friends now. He's got some time off so I guess they're all going to want to hang out."

"Maybe that will give him a chance to apologize?"

"Apologize for what?" Sarah asked. "Saying I'm sorry isn't going to erase what he did. He took dad's story and found a way to make a profit off it for himself."

"I thought this concert was for charity?" Jenny asked. "I don't think Levi Weston is going to be making money from today."

"The crowd loved the song," Sarah stated. "There's no way he's going to pass that up. Watch, it'll be his next single."

Jenny nodded her head. She didn't want to argue with Sarah, especially since she couldn't. She really had no idea what went on and she knew she couldn't tell what Levi's true intention was.

"I'm sorry this wasn't what you wanted," she said. "Your uncle Shane is ordering in pizza for dinner, if you're up for it."

"We'll see," Sarah muttered. Jenny nodded her head, promised to leave a few slices for her in case she got hungry and then walked out of her room. Shane was waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

"So?" he asked.

"It went well," Jenny said. "She didn't lash out, at least."

"Is she okay?"

"Turns out, Levi Weston isn't the guy the media makes him out to be. I guess Sarah had to learn the hard way, celebrities are all fake."

"Not all celebrities," Shane defended. "You know, if this had been Kira Ford…"

"I know, I know, you and Kira Ford go way back," Jenny chuckled and rolled her eyes. "You know, one day, you will have to tell me how you and her came to meet."

"Would you believe it involved brainwashing, dinosaurs and ninjas?"

Jenny gave her brother a strange look, then shook her head and lightly punched his arm, "You know, sometimes I'm really convinced you're actually adopted. Brainwashing? Dino Ninjas?"

"Dinosaurs _and_ ninjas," Shane stressed. Jenny shook her head.

"Whatever you say, little brother. Just go order the pizza, alright?"

"Geez, you try to tell the truth," Shane smirked as he went to pick up the phone. Jenny stuck out her tongue at him.


	10. Levi's Apology

That night, Levi laid awake in his bed, staring up at the ceiling of his trailer. He had a lot to process now that he had found and met the other Rangers, but that was the last thing on his mind.

He played Sarah's reaction to his song over again in his mind, each time trying to think of what he could have done to let her know he only wanted to help. He wondered why he hadn't thought this could be her reaction. He started to think of how his fame had changed him, and why he hadn't noticed it at all until now.

He sat up in bed when he was certain that he wouldn't be able to sleep. He reached for his notebook to begin writing a song about all of this but stopped himself. This was how he had gotten himself into trouble. Clearly, Sarah didn't like her life being used for his songs. He shook his head as he thought about her reaction again.

He had to admit, feeling a little relieved by it. While it was still upsetting, Sarah had reminded him that he wasn't immune. Fame may have changed his life in the sense of the people he could reach, in the things he could buy, and in the way he could see the world, but in the end, he was still just a regular guy. He wasn't without his flaws and it was still very possible for him to do wrong.

In the eyes of all the girls who were fans that he had dated, he was perfect. They were in awe over everything he did. He didn't need to put in any effort in the relationship, which admittedly, he had enjoyed, but it also left him feeling like the relationship wasn't real. It wasn't going to last because the girls weren't in love with him, but with the idea of being with him. The girls catered to him and his needs. His mistakes didn't exist. If he forgot to bring flowers, or forgot her name, or even worse, forgot about the date, the girls would make up excuses for him.

Levi didn't like that. Of course, it made the relationship easier for him, but he wanted his partner to be someone who could snap him back to reality and keep him grounded. Perhaps he had met that person today in Sarah, and he had totally screwed it up.

"Dammit," he muttered. "Now I've got a crush on a girl that completely hates me. And I can't even write about it."

He fell back into his pillow and looked up at the ceiling. He had to make things right. There had to be a way.

When morning came, Levi had only gotten a couple of hours of sleep. Still, he pulled himself out of bed, made himself breakfast, showered and then headed out into the city. He told his manager that he wanted the day to himself, and refused to have security escort him around.

He slowly made his way to the Ranger base, where Brody said they were all going to meet up to start training together. On the way, Levi stopped at a flower shop. He stared at the various bouquets but there was nothing that caught his eye. In fact, he didn't even know if Sarah did like flowers. She was already unlike any of the other girls he had met.

He stopped at a card store after that, looking for a card that would help him apologize, but there was nothing that fit the situation, reminding him that he wasn't just a regular guy like he always thought. Since there was nothing there that suited him, he left. He arrived at the Ranger base empty handed and feeling like a dick, as Sarah had called him the day before.

"You ready for this?" Calvin asked him as he arrived and Levi was glad to see that the rest of the team wasn't going to ice him out. He nodded his head.

"Your uniform is hanging on the wall," Hayley pointed out, and Levi turned around to see a black and gold Ninja suit waiting for him. He picked it up and had a look. It wasn't like his usual wardrobe of cowboy boots, jeans and a hat, but it seemed to fit the Ninja theme of the Rangers quite well. He put it on as the others arrived. Sarah was the last to walk in, and when she saw him she rolled her eyes and then proceeded to ignore him as Brody explained what they would be practicing. They then left the school and walked out to the forest, where the others led him to a clearing far off the regular trails. They were put into pairs and asked to spar. Levi found himself matched up with Brody.

"You can count on me not going easy on you," Brody said and Levi nodded his head.

"I should hope not. Those monsters certainly won't."

"Exactly. They don't care about your fame."

Levi nodded his head. Brody liked to drill in that point. Levi was a regular person, and nothing would convince Brody otherwise. He thought maybe he could use that to his advantage. Brody wasn't going to hold back on the truth or his thoughts to spare Levi's feelings like others would.

"Do you think Sarah will talk to me today?"

Brody looked over to the pink Ranger and shrugged his shoulders, "Not sure. I've never pissed her off before."

"Has anyone?"

"Probably," Brody nodded. "Preston said she really let Victor have it when he took her hoverboard. You might just have to learn to endure her abuse."

"I'm fine with that," Levi said. "I just want her to understand that I didn't mean to upset her."

"It doesn't matter what you meant," Brody said. "You know, my dad always used to say, it doesn't matter what your intentions were. If you hurt someone, you have to accept that and make it right."

Levi let out a little laugh, "Funny, my dad used to say the same. Look, I'm not trying to get myself out of this mess. I want her to know I didn't mean to hurt her and I want her to know that I'm ready to own up to what I did. I just… need to know why she's upset so I can make it right."

"Maybe I can help," Brody said and called for the Rangers to pause their sparing. He then switched up the partners and matched himself up with Sarah. As they spared, he struck up a conversation.

"So, Levi…"

"I'd really rather not talk about him, Brody," Sarah said. "It's fine if you want to be his friend, but that ship has sailed for me."

"He seems really sorry about what he's done."

"Aren't you the guy who said we shouldn't treat him any different just because he's famous?"

"Like I said, he seems really sorry," Brody pointed out. "And just like anyone else, I think if he is ready to own up to his mistakes, he deserves that chance."

"He had to know that what I told him was in confidence."

"Seriously?" Brody asked with a little laugh, prompting an eyebrow raise from Sarah and the strength of her punches to increase slightly. "Sarah, he's still pretty much a stranger. How could you expect him to think that he had earned your trust enough in that hour we were with him for you to share something in confidence?"

Sarah shrugged her shoulders. Brody looked to her.

"I'm not saying what he did was right. He had no right to use what you told him in his song. But… you've got to give him some room for error here. He couldn't have known that you expected privacy from him. He barely knew you, and you barely knew him."

"You know a lot for a guy raised on an alien space ship," Sarah frowned.

"You told an artist an emotional story. That's like giving you tools and a blueprint and asking you not to build something."

"I…"

"And from what he's told me, he really only wanted to help you. And he is onto something, you know. Since those clones, you've hardly even looked at a hammer or a… whatcha-ma-call-it. Yes, Galvanax used your cloning device to wreak the city. Yes, because of that people died. Yes, you lost your father. But are you really going to let Galvanax also take a huge part of who you are? Are you going to give up on all your dreams just because of a mistake?"

"Will you stop making good points if I talk to the guy?" Sarah asked. Brody shrugged his shoulders.

"I can switch up the teams so you're not paired with me anymore," he said. "But if you agree to that, you should know, I'm going to pair you with Levi."

"You're a bit of an ass, you know that?"

"If by ass you mean a good friend, then yes."

Sarah shook her head, but agreed to the switch. She looked to Levi as he approached her.

"Brody said you wanted to talk."

"I want to start by saying when I write, I'm not thinking about money," Levi said. "My songs are my art, and I'd have done that for you whether I was famous or not. That's just who I am."

"Uh-huh."

"I believe in following your dreams," Levi said. "I believe in not letting challenges stand in your way. You can overcome anything if you're doing what you love. My heart just… broke for you when I saw how you were ready to give up on something you loved and I thought that if I wrote a song for you, that you might reconsider. I have no plans to use your song for profit."

"How can I trust you really mean that?"

"Because I'm giving the song to you," Levi said. "You get all credit for it. Any money made off the song from downloads or performances will go to you and you can do whatever you want with it. Hell, if you tell me right now you never want the song to be heard again, I'll do everything I can to silence it. The song was only meant for you and… I guess, I guess I should have saved it just for you instead of singing it at the concert. That was my mistake and I'm sorry."

Sarah looked to Levi as he apologized. She could tell he was genuine. He was looking her in the eye, and his words didn't waver. There was emotion behind his words that expressed his regret and his honesty.

"I'll believe you meant well," she said. "But I just… it's all still a little too fresh."

"Have you talked to anyone about it?" Levi asked her. "Your mom or…"

"Never mom," Sarah shook her head. "That's a story on it's own."

"I thought you said you had one parent?"

"You really don't know me," Sarah answered. Levi looked to her.

"Will you let me?" he asked. "I promise, I won't write about anything unless you give me the okay. You can trust me on that."

"Are you… are you asking me out?"

"You can say no," Levi stated. "I just… I am drawn to you a bit but… I really think if I'm going to be writing your story, I should get to know you a little more, even if I've already kind of done so without permission."

"Fine," Sarah nodded. "We'll go out."

"Seriously?"

"But it's just because we'll need to get to know each other," Sarah stated. "We're teammates. We're in charge of saving the world. I'm going to have to learn to trust you, and the sooner, the better?"

"So, yes?"

"Pick me up tonight at eight," Sarah nodded.


	11. Getting Ready

"So let me get this straight," Hayley said as she sat on Sarah's bed in her room, watching as the pink Ranger got ready for her date. "You've got from being a fan, to hating his guts, to dating him?"

"How do you dress when you're mad at your date?" Sarah asked.

"Flirty casual," Hayley answered without thinking and Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Calvin and I do fight, you know."

"I don't believe it," Sarah said and picked out a pink dress. "Like this?"

"That works," Hayley nodded. "So you don't find all this a bit… weird?"

"All what?"

"The fan to hate to date thing. Kind of a weird way to start, don't you think."

"Start what?"

"A relationship."

"Not all dates are about relationships," Sarah answered.

"Have you ever been on a date before?" Hayley asked. "Usually, that's the first step to a relationship."

"Exactly. Usually."

"You know what I meant," Hayley chuckled. Sarah turned to face her.

"I have to learn to live with the guy now that he's our gold Ranger. If this is the way to do it, then so be it."

"So, you don't think this will evolve into anything else?"

"I… I don't know," Sarah shrugged. "Let's just see if we can be friends first."

"I guess that's a good plan," Hayley nodded, then she started to smirk, "Hey, you know what I find weird."

"What?"

"His Ranger suit. How it's… different. I mean, what's with the cowboy theme and what makes him so special?"

Sarah chuckled, "You know, that was the first thing I thought when we first bumped into him."

"Don't you think it's a bit ridiculous?" Hayley laughed. "I mean, we're clearly supposed to be Ninjas. He's clearly supposed to be a Ninja and yet…"

"That cowboy hat helmet makes it so hard to take him seriously," Sarah nodded her head and smiled. "And did you notice the guitar?"

"I'm surprised that monster didn't burst out laughing on the spot," Hayley chuckled. "Makes me glad I got white."

"At least you don't have to go on a date with him," Sarah smirked. She then held up two different necklaces, "What do you think?"

Hayley pointed to the one on the left, "It's simple. It works better."

"Thanks," Sarah said and put the necklace on, leaving the other in her jewellery box. She turned around, showing her outfit to Hayley, "So, what do you think?"

"Well, you've crossed the line of this being a friends only date," Hayley pointed out. Sarah's shoulders dropped.

"Too much?"

"I think he'll like it," Hayley said.

"A date date isn't my intention you know," Sarah said and turned back to her closet, "This is the most casual flirty thing I own unless I go in jeans?"

"Definitely not," Hayley shook her head. "Look, this date is only what you want it to be, no matter how you choose to dress. As long as you don't kiss him at the end, he won't think you want anything more."

"I have no intention of kissing him."

"And I didn't intend on kissing Calvin either."

"I'm serious!"

"So am I," Hayley smirked. "You just never know."


	12. The Date

While there was a lot to complain about with his life being so public, Levi did have to admit, his status earned him quite the benefits. At the last minute he could book a nice restaurant and a table in a private corner where he was sure he wouldn't be bothered. He knew the wait staff would cater to his and Sarah's needs without hesitation and they would do their part to ensure the night went well. Levi didn't need to worry there.

Yet, there was still a knot in his stomach. He straightened out his shirt and looked himself in the mirror. A part of him felt like this was his first date in a long time, despite him having been just the month before and Sarah's claim that they were just friends.

He liked that she stood up to him. He liked that she told him what she didn't like and didn't hold back. The people who usually surrounded him weren't so bold. Since he paid them, they were all under the assumption that if they disagreed with him, they would be fired. He always assured them he wanted their honest opinion, particularly where his music was concerned, but he was sure he rarely heard it.

Sarah seemed different based off what he had seen. She felt like the kind of girl who would be kind, but who would give him a kick in the ass if he needed it. He liked that.

He grabbed a folder as he headed out the door of his hotel. He picked Sarah up at her house and drove her to the restaurant. There, they sat down, ordered their drinks and gazed at the menu. Levi started off by telling Sarah a little about his childhood and how he became Levi Weston, country artist. He explained to her how each of his songs were personal to him, and that he wrote them himself as a manner of expression. If he was feeling sad, writing about it would make him feel a little better. If he was excited, the best way he could think of sharing that joy would be through song.

If he wanted to help, the only way he really knew how to reach someone was with his songs.

"You just caught me off guard," Sarah explained when Levi was done telling his story. "My dad and I were pretty close. I loved him a lot and despite my numerous failed projects and experiments in the garage, he always let me have that space to be creative. When he met Jenny, he told me honestly what was going on and when he asked her to marry him, it wasn't a huge shock to me. He made sure Jenny would be a good influence in my life and that she actually wanted to be my step-mother. He did his best all the time for me."

"And suddenly he's gone."

"Because I was careless," Sarah sighed. "I developed the holo-projectors to boost my college resume. I thought the more extra-curriculars I had, the better it would look. I let one of my clones fight a battle for me and when she malfunctioned, I didn't think to gather up the holo-projector, or even look for it. The guys even asked me if it was safe for the monster to take and…"

"You didn't think Galvanax would use it like this?"

"He's an advanced alien species. You'd think cloning would be primitive technology to him. Anyways, next thing I knew, the city is being torn apart by eight of him, and people are dying by the minute. By the time I had a solution, it was too late."

"You know, that's not what people are saying."

"People don't have the whole story," Sarah said.

"So, that's it, then?" Levi asked. "One mistake. One oversight, and you're going to give up on your passion?"

"With Galvanax out there, it's probably safer."

"But that's not fair," Levi said. "Do you have any idea how many record labels rejected me before someone took a chance on me?"

"Music doesn't kill. Engineering…"

"Sarah, I was rejected by more record labels than I knew existed in the entire country," Levi said. "One guy even said my songs were garbage."

"Music doesn't kill. The worst you can possibly do is annoy someone."

"The way I see it, music has the power to change lives," Levi said. "I can reach into someone's soul. You don't think something like that has the power to hurt? Remind me how you felt after hearing my song."

"It didn't kill me."

"Sarah, that hoverboard of yours, if it's half as cool as it sounds, it's incredible. And creating clones? And you're only…"

"Sixteen."

"You realize if you continue to work on your talent, and if you take your mistakes as a chance for growth, rather than opportunities to give up, you're going to change the world too."

"Do you really think so?" Sarah asked.

Levi nodded his head, then placed the folder he brought with him on the table. He asked Sarah to open it, "I wanted to give you this. I've signed the song over to you, as promised. It's yours. No one can play a single bar without your say-so. I can't apologize enough for crossing the line. I do, however, mean every single word in here."

"And what makes you believe in me so much?" Sarah asked. "We just met."

"Musician's hunch?"

"Is there even such a thing?"

"I guess we'll find out," Levi smirked. "You promise you won't let Galvanax win? Learn from this. Learn from your mistakes. You're going to change the world."

Sarah nodded her head. She slipped the papers back in the folder and then slid it over to Levi, "You know what. Keep it."

"What?"

"The song. Use it."

"Seriously?"

"I don't like that you surprised me with it, but I'll admit, it's got a good message," Sarah said. "Maybe it won't help me the way you wanted it to but it's got to be able to help someone else, right?"

"You really don't have to do this," Levi assured her. "I don't need it."

"It's okay," Sarah smiled then called the waiter over for the bill. Levi reached for his wallet, but Sarah shook her head. He tried to insist, explaining that where he came from, men were expected to pay for the date. Sarah refused and dropped down enough money to cover her portion of dinner. Levi tried to insist again that she didn't have to, saying this meal wouldn't even dent his bank account, but Sarah walked out. Levi put down the rest and raced after her, following her out. They walked side by side down the street.

"You're really not like other girls, you know that?"

Sarah chuckled, "People never know what to expect when they meet me," she said. "I kind of like it like that."

"And what do people usually think?"

"That I'll beat them up," Sarah smirked. Levi nodded his head. There was a bruise from where she had hit him earlier, and he remembered her punch hurting quite a bit. "Then I introduce myself and they think I'm a cheerleader."

"A cheerleader?"

"I'm pretty peppy," Sarah said. "And then they find out I'm a nerd."

"The engineering thing?"

"Exactly."

"So what are you?"

"Sarah. Just Sarah."

They reached Levi's car. He held the door open for her as she got inside and then they drove back to her house. Levi stopped the car in her driveway.

"Tonight was fun," he said. "You think we can do it again?"

"Of course," Sarah nodded and Levi smiled brightly, "We're Rangers. Like it or not, we'll be hanging out together a lot."

The smile slipped from his face, "Oh…"

"I had a good time too," Sarah then smirked. She opened the car door, "See you again, Levi."

"Yeah, see you," Levi tipped his hat and watched her walk up to her door. He waited for her to be inside before he drove off.


	13. The Rendez-Vous

Levi spent the rest of his week feeling like he was floating, and it wasn't just his date night with Sarah that had him so upbeat. His days consisted of planning where he was headed next. As a famous musician, he couldn't just drop off the media's radar without raising any suspicions or concerns. Already the country knew he was planning some time off following the end of his tour, but he was sure he would have to extend it, and he was trying to find a proper reason. He couldn't say it was for Ranger business, but he didn't want his fans to think that music wasn't still a priority for him.

He settled on writing. He had a hunch that being a Ranger and facing challenges would inspire him to write some songs to deal with his feelings. He was sure he would have enough to make an album by the time he could get back to work.

His days were spent working. Once the Rangers were free from school or their other commitments, he would join them for training and often would hang out with them afterwards, either in the Ranger base, or around the city. He loved having friends who valued him as Levi, and not as their favourite country singer. He liked that they had started to tease him. He liked that his opinion was worth no more, but no less, than the others. He loved that the more time he spent with them, the more he felt like a regular guy.

And he loved that, on top of all that, he got to spend time with Sarah. He got to know who she really was, beyond being a fan who lost her father. Beyond being a Ranger. Beyond being an engineer.

She was open. She was kind and thoughtful. She stood up for her beliefs and stood up for the beliefs of her friends. She was Preston's biggest supporter, even though Levi knew she could figure out the "magic" behind his tricks. She helped Brody adapt to life on Earth with patience, and was enthralled by the stories he had to tell of life beyond Earth. She had managed to build a relationship with Calvin that didn't seem at all to threaten Hayley, despite how close they seemed to be. It spoke to the strength of Calvin and Hayley's relationship, which Levi also admired, but also to Sarah's kindness towards other women, which Levi wasn't used to seeing. She was close with Hayley, and if he hadn't known better, he would have sworn the two were sisters. One look was all they needed to share their thoughts and feelings. Often, a lot would be said without a word ever leaving either of their lips. It baffled Levi, but he liked it.

Sarah was so different from everyone he knew. She could relate to and enjoyed being with everyone she met. Everyone was a person in her eyes. Everyone deserved her respect and care and it was their choice to hold onto it or lose it. Levi loved that.

"Guys night?" Calvin asked him after training. Levi snapped himself out of his head and turned to the yellow Ranger.

"Pardon?"

"Guys night. You in?"

"Sure. What's the plan?"

"We just thought we'd go to the movies," Calvin shrugged.

"In other words, Hayley's busy," Preston teased Calvin. "Kody's got a check up at the vet this evening so Calvin is without a girlfriend and needs to fill the void."

Calvin threw his sweat towel at Preston, but didn't argue with the blue Ranger beyond that. He just turned to Levi, "So you're in?"

"It's been a while since I've been to the movies," Levi nodded again, confirming his agreement. "I'm in. Doesn't matter what we see."

-Ninja-Steel-

The guys had planned a guys night, and Hayley had plans with her dog, so Sarah was without company for the night. She didn't mind much. The Rangers had spent the entire week together and so a night to herself was rather welcomed.

She hopped off her hoverboard as she reached her driveway and rushed into the house. She called out to her step-mother and uncle that she was home but received no reply except a note in the kitchen.

" _Shane and I are out running errands, we'll be out for most of the night. There's a lasagna in the fridge for you. My secret recipe._

" _Take care,_

 _Jenny."_

Sarah set the note down and smiled at the thought of her step-mother's lasagna for dinner. She had no idea how Jenny made it, but it was always the best meal of the day. Sarah had requested it for every birthday since Jenny first made it and had already request it be her high school graduation celebration dinner.

With the house to herself and no one to bother her, Sarah realized this was the perfect time to continue working on some of her ideas. All her tools and her notebook were in the garage where she had last left them. She had taken Levi's words to heart and had decided she wouldn't let one mistake veer her off her path of becoming an engineer. She was committed to getting back to her passion but as she approached the door to the garage, she felt an overwhelming panic rush through her.

What if this failed like her holo-clones?

She shook her head and rid herself of that thought. She was going to fail. She was going to make mistakes. She had done so before the holo-clones and she would continue to fail her entire life. It was a part of being human, her father had always insisted. She put her hand on the door and finally she opened it.

Everything was as she left it, which wasn't a surprised. She hadn't walked in since before her father disappeared and Jenny had no business in the garage. Sarah smiled slightly to see her tools and got back to work.

-Ninja-Steel-

Downtown, Jenny was waiting at a quiet corner, eyeing every person that passed, waiting for just the right one. Her stomach churned every time she saw a vaguely familiar face and relief washed over her when she knew it was just a stranger.

This was easily the hardest thing she ever had to do, but she needed to do it. She would never be able to live with herself if she didn't get this settled quickly.

"If you get stuck…"

"You're just here to drive me home after," Jenny told her brother, who was pacing behind her. She had insisted to Shane that she take care of this herself, but knew she would be rattled afterwards and so asked him to come along only to be her chauffeur.

"She's late."

"I expected that."

"I don't get why you're doing this. Isn't everything settled?"

"Yes, it's all settled."

"So then you don't owe her anything."

"I don't want her thinking that just because Bill is out of the way that she'll have easy access," Jenny said. "The lawyer said she's been asking."

"But she's got no rights here. You do. You're protected. You won, she didn't."

"And I want to make that clear," Jenny said just as an unmistakeable face could be spotted about a block away. Jenny told Shane to take a step back and begged him to keep out of the conversation.

"You Jenny?" the woman asked and Jenny nodded her head. She gave the woman one look and could immediately understand everything Bill had ever said about her. Just the woman's appearance seemed dirty, her stance suggested her selfishness and complete disregard for anyone else's needs and the smell of… her, reeked of a combination of substances which, each one alone, could get her thrown in prison. Jenny was surprised the woman wasn't arrested just for walking down the street. Hell, she was impressed this woman was still alive.

"I am."

"You're the one who's got my girl," the woman, Kathryn, said. Jenny shook her head.

"That was settled a long time ago."

"Look, step-mom, just cause the brat ain't with me, doesn't mean she's not my kid."

"You lost her for a reason."

"I didn't lose her," Kathryn shook her head. "That would mean I wanted her in the first place. What happened there was a mistake."

"So why are you asking about her now?"

"You know about that?"

"It's not what I think, is it?"

"Well, what do you think?" Kathryn asked with a coy smirk. Jenny felt a shiver run up her spine but she tried to stand tall. Kathryn laughed, "You're pretty cute, you know. Pretending like you're so tough."

"I'm not pre –"

"Bill ever tell you the story of how he and I met?"

"It was a low point and you know it."

"Please," Kathryn shook her head. "Is that how you justify it to yourself? Or is that what he told you?"

Jenny had to remind herself to stick to her message. She wasn't here to discuss her husband. She was here for Sarah.

"Stay away from Sarah."

"Or what? What will you do?" Kathryn challenged and Jenny wasn't sure how to answer. If she was honest, Kathryn scared her. Even knowing her brother was just a few steps away wasn't enough to calm that fear.

"S-Sarah's got a good life ahead of her," Jenny said, her stutter obvious to all. "If you step in, you'll only ruin that. If you care for her at all…"

"And what's so wrong with the way I do things?" Kathryn asked. "I can make more a night than you do in a week."

"You have no rights. S-stay away."

"Or what?" Kathryn challenged again and this time stepped towards Jenny. Shane, who had watched and heard the whole conversation knew he had to step in here.

"Or you deal with me," he growled and stood next to his sister. He glared down at Kathryn and gave her one look of disgust. He flexed his muscles and the hateful expression on his face never faded. Kathryn seemed to get the message because she backed away.

"Whatever," she said. "Have fun playing house."

Shane watched her go as she walked off. When she was a few blocks away and turned around the corner, he let himself relax and turned to his sister.

"You okay?"

"Fine," she nodded. "I'm fine."

"You didn't need to do that," Shane insisted. "What did you think you were going to accomplish?"

"She's asking about Sarah," Jenny said. "She's asking when Sarah can make the choice for herself to contact her. I'm afraid of what that might mean."

"And you standing here, shaking in your boots, was supposed to do… what, exactly?"

"I don't know. I don't know what I'm doing with this. I just know that if Bill were here… it's what he would have done."

"He would have done it, Jenny. You… you're you."

"Thanks."

Shane nodded his head, then looked to where Kathryn had left, "So, that's Sarah's mom, huh? Am I right to assume she's a… well, a…"

"A lady of the night? You hit the nail on the head, little brother."

"Does Sarah know?"

"To an extent," Jenny nodded. "Sarah was four when Kathryn was arrested and that's when Bill was finally able to get full custody."

"So this means…"

"Shane, I know what you're going to say," Jenny looked to her brother fearfully. "Yes, Bill slept with her. Yes, there was an exchange of money. And it went on for about a year. But when I met him, he wasn't that same guy anymore."

"You're sure?"

"Yes," Jenny insisted. "He was honest with me about it all. He told me about her before he ever mentioned Sarah. The Bill you knew is the real Bill. I promise you."

"Okay," Shane nodded. His sister was smart, he knew that. And while he hadn't liked all her boyfriends, they had never been bad men. They had never given him a reason to think they weren't good enough for his sister. He had to belief Bill was the same. "So what does Sarah know?"

"She knows she didn't like being with her mother," Jenny said. "She knows she never felt safe. She knows her mother is not a nice person."

"She doesn't know what her mother does?"

"She doesn't even know how her parents met."

"And you're sure about that?" Shane asked. "Jenny, that kid of yours is pretty smart."

"She doesn't know, Shane. And that was how Bill wanted it."

"So why do you think Kathryn's asking after her now?" Shane looked to Jenny, hoping the answer he already had wouldn't be the same thing Jenny was thinking. He hoped he was over thinking things.

"You saw her," Jenny said and gestured to the spot Kathryn had stood. "On your worst day, would you ever consider sleeping with her?"

"You mean if I did that kind of stuff," Shane gave it a quick thought, trying to imagine what he'd look for in a prostitute hypothetically and then shook his head. "Not if she was the only one."

"My guess is her list of nightly visitors is slimming down," Jenny said.

"And what does that have to do with Sarah?"

"Sarah's a pretty girl," Jenny said. "I'm not letting Kathryn anywhere near her."


	14. Leaves And Absences

Sarah rushed to school that morning and nearly stumbled off her hover board as she arrived. She picked it up quickly and hurried in, racing past Victor and Monty who were trying to work together to create the greatest science fair project yet. Sarah had heard of the Summer Cove Science Fair and before her father died she wanted to participate. Now, it was too late to register. Fortunately, she had more important business at hand.

She ran into the school and down to the Ranger Base. She almost made it when she spotted something in the corner of her eye down the music hallway and stopped herself. Looking down, she spotted Levi speaking with Principal Hastings.

"Excellent! Then it's settled," Principal Hastings said with a smile. "I'll get the paperwork ready for the end of the day and we'll make it official. Congratulations, Mr. Weston."

"Please, just call me Levi."

Principal Hastings nodded her head and headed off, smiling to Sarah as she walked past. Sarah gave a quick nod and flashed a smile before she rushed over to Levi with a questioning look on her face.

"You're early," she said. Levi lifted his shoulders slightly and then glanced into the music room.

"I was just walking the neighbourhood when Principal Hastings bumped into me. Offered me a job."

"Seriously?" Sarah asked.

"I was at the store," Levi said. "Next thing I know, this woman is calling me down. I thought she was just a fan so I was ready to sign and autograph but then she asked if I wanted to work in the school."

"And you accepted?"

"It'll make it easier to hang around," Levi nodded. "Apparently it's perfect timing. Your music teacher just went on a leave and there was no one to fill the position."

"Principal Hastings apparently has a habit of hiring the first semi-qualified person she sees," Sarah said, recalling the story that Hayley had told her of how Mick wound up teaching Shop Class.

"Semi-qualified? I'm a real musician. I'm sure there's a thing or two you could learn from me."

"Have you ever tried looking after a room full of teenagers?"

"I play concerts with thousands of people and hold their attention."

Sarah snickered and rolled her eyes, "Good luck, Levi. I've got to go."

"What? Where?"

Sarah reached into her bag and pulled out a small box. She showed it to Levi.

"I took your advice and got back in my garage," she said. "Built this last night, since I had a bit of free time."

"See, I inspired you. I inspire crowds. What's so different in teaching?"

"Again, good luck, Levi. See you at lunch!"

Sarah gently pat his arm and then raced off, leaving Levi shaking his head and laughing off her warning.

Once Sarah finally made it to the Ranger Base, she dumped her bag in the corner and set her hover board down gently. Then she tossed the small box in the air and watched as it transformed into a large holographic map. Brody, Hayley, Calvin, Mick and Redbot gathered around, looking at her invention in awe.

"What is this?" Mick asked, examining it carefully. Sarah smiled.

"It's Summer Cove! I figured this could help us spot monsters a little more quickly. It scans the city, looking for anything unusual, like monster DNA or spells or… anything that doesn't make sense, really, and tells us where to go. I figured it's better than waiting until we run into trouble."

"This is great!" Brody smiled, admiring the map of the city and the detail Sarah had put into her work, "So you're back to inventing?"

"The Holo-clones may not have been my best idea," Sarah said. "But I wasn't going to let one mistake tear me away from my father and my passion."

"Glad to see you're back to yourself," Hayley said. "And I'm sure this will come in handy."

"And the signals are all encrypted," Sarah assured Mick, who was still examining her map while stroking his chin. "Everything I invent from now on will have some security measures in place, just in case they do fall into the wrong hands. Earth might not be as advanced as other planets, but I've learned that doesn't mean we can't offer Galvanax something."

"As far as technology can take us, sometimes it's the more primitive inventions that are best suited for the job," Mick said, finally giving Sarah and approving smile. "And this is a great idea. A time saver, for sure."

"A life saver," Calvin added and Sarah felt herself smiling. She had been living with the guilt of all the lives her last invention had caused. She knew there was nothing she could do to fix that mistake, but knowing her technology would now prevent even more heartache for people offered some consolation. "The faster we arrive to a battle sight, the sooner we stop the monster, the less destruction they cause."

Preston suddenly rushed into the base, breathing heavily as he arrived and nearly dropping his hat in his hurry.

"Guys! Guys! You'll never guess who our new music teacher is!"

"Levi?" Sarah asked with a bit of a smirk. Preston nodded his head as he doubled over to catch his breath.

"Can you believe it?"

"Wait. Levi is our music teacher?" Hayley asked. "Like, for real?"

"For real," Preston nodded.

"Can Principal Hastings do that?" Calvin asked.

"I guess so," Mick answered with a little shrug. "That's how I'm here."

"Is it her job to make life easier for us, or just a coincidence?" Hayley asked. "So far, everyone that's part of this Ranger stuff who doesn't attend the school works here."

"Uh, I don't," RedBot reminded her, holding a hand up.

"You're… different."

"Maybe you can teach a robotics class," Brody teased him, but RedBot seemed to grow excited at the idea.

"Oh, really? That would be amazing! There is so much you humans still have to learn about the powers of technology."

"Uh, guys, as fun as that would be, we do have class to get to," Calvin reminded everyone.

-Ninja-Steel-

"You want to do what?"

Shane nervously rubbed the back of his neck. He knew this was asking a lot.

"Indefinite leave," he said. Cam looked to him in complete disbelief and then started to pace Ninja Ops.

"You have three classes a day. A thousand students."

"Dustin and Tor can handle them," Shane stated.

"You want to give them both an extra five hundred students each?"

"Cam, it's family."

"We all have family, Shane. I can't ask the others to do that _indefinitely_."

"Look, I just found out the man my sister married used to pay for a hooker and had a baby with her," Shane said. "Now that woman is asking about my niece and… there's some other stuff and… I really think I need to be with them right now."

"And I get that, Shane, I really do, but when you became a sensei you made a commitment to the Academy, to your students, to all of us. My father…"

"He would have agreed that family comes first," Shane reminded Cam. "And you're a lot like him, you know."

"Have you spoken to Tori and Dustin about this?" Cam asked. "Are they okay with it?"

"Well, see, I only just decided this last night and… well, I was hoping you could tell them."

"Shane!"

"It's for the good of the planet," Shane insisted. "Trust me."

"Babysitting your niece is for the good of the planet?" Cam asked. "Oh, you have to explain that one."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I thought you trusted me."

"I do."

"So then you have to believe me."

"Shane…"

"Cam, you know I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't important. I'm the responsible one."

"Tori is the responsible one."

"Fine, then I'm trustworthy."

"Tori is the trustworthy one."

"Fine, then I'm the reliable one."

"Tori is…"

"Then whatever I am…"

"You're my only air Sensei," Cam said. "Without you, I have a thousand air ninjas who are going to be set back in their training indefinitely. Is what you're doing really more important that the training of all your students?"

"Yes," Shane nodded, his confidence in his answer never wavering, even as Cam examined his face.

"Okay, go before I change my mind," he said. Shane smiled brightly and rushed into hug Cam.

"You're the best, dude! I promise, you're not going to regret this!"

"I am already," Cam sighed and adjusted his glasses as Shane rushed out. "How you did this, father, I'll never know."


	15. Ninjas Past And Present

Since getting some time off from the Academy, Shane found himself with plenty of time on his hands. Theoretically, it was enough time for him to be teaching his classes, however Blue Bay Harbour just wasn't close enough to Summer Cove for him. He needed to be with his sister and he needed to be there for his niece. With their baggage, as well as Sarah's Ranger duties, Shane wanted to be near in case he was needed.

Cam had given him a hard time about his leave, but Shane knew he had the support of his former green Ranger. He knew he had left them with a heavy burden but if they ever learned the truth, he was certain they would understand.

He didn't want to share Sarah's secret, just like he didn't want her sharing his. He had learned through the rest of his Ranger family that the more people knew, the more trouble they caused. One day he would be able to tell the truth, but now wasn't the time.

He spent his free time out in the woods, training himself. He had kept up with his Ninja training since his Ranger days, but that was very different from fighting in a real battle. He had to be sure he would be ready for when he was needed.

He soared through the trees, bending the air in such a way that he was almost flying. He had come a long way with his powers since becoming the Red Ranger and had learned that his powers could extend far beyond what he thought was possible, so long as he was properly focused and disciplined.

He brought himself back to the ground as his energy levels started to drop. His feet touched the ground as he landed silently and he closed his eyes, centering his mind and focusing only on his presence in the woods. Nothing else.

Suddenly, he heard a twig snap. His attention immediately shifted to the source of the noise but before he could do anything he felt knock him off his feet. Whatever it was, it was powerful, and that was all he knew before everything turned black.

-Ninja-Steel-

"Presto-Change-O!" Preston called out, waving his wand over his hat in the cafeteria during the lunch hour. There were very few students watching, but that never stopped Preston from putting on a show. He reached into his hat after speaking the magic phrase and pulled out, "A gerbil!"

"Whoo! Go Presto!" he heard Sarah cheer and while he appreciated her support, this wasn't what he had been trying for. Technically, he had performed magic, but he wasn't going to impress his audience with just a gerbil. They weren't an audience of 6 year olds. These were teenagers. They needed to see something more.

"Is he always this… like this?" Levi asked as he joined the Rangers at their table and looked sadly over at Preston's magic show. He had to admit being impressed Preston had pulled anything out of his hat, but a gerbil wasn't going to win over his crowd.

"People haven't given him a real chance yet," Hayley answered with a defeated sigh. "He's been trying to get their attention since the third grade and no one really cares."

"He's got actual magic," Levi said, remembering when he first trained with the Rangers and seeing Preston use magic abilities to transform a stick into a sword. "Why doesn't he just use those?"

"Ninjas use their powers for good," Brody explained.

"I thought Ninjas were assassins," Levi frowned. "Sneaky assassins."

"Aren't all assassins sneaky?" Calvin asked as he sipped from his drink. "Otherwise they're just called murderers?"

"The ninjas everyone knows about are what you hear in stories," Brody explained to Levi. "But around the world there are entire schools dedicated to teaching young Ninjas to harness their powers for the benefit of the planet. Us, for example."

"Sure," Levi nodded his head, then watched as Preston's never ending tissue trick never ended. "He's got to do something unpredictable. Everyone knows these tricks."

"You have any suggestions?" Sarah asked.

Levi shrugged, "I was never really into magic."

Just then, the Rangers heard their communicators beep and looks to each other. Brody answered the call while the others kept an eye out to be sure no one got suspicious.

"What is it, Mick?"

"Sarah's map works like a charm! There's trouble and I know exactly where it's happening!"

"Great new, Mick. Now what's going on?"

"Strange energy readings in the forest," Mick said. "It's not alien, at least, not anymore, but it is powerful. Like, crazy powerful. All of you need to check it out."

"The forest is huge, Mick. Anywhere specific?"

"I've got it," Sarah whispered and tapped her bag. She signaled to Preston that it was time to head out. He nodded and announced to the inattentive crowd that it was time for him to disappear. Using his real magic this time, he vanished from the cafeteria, finally earning himself a few more interested audience members. "Sure, now they watch," Sarah rolled her eyes as she rushed out of the school with the rest of her friends behind her.

They raced to the parking lot, where Calvin got his truck and he, Brody, Hayley, Preston and Levi hopped in. Sarah powered on her hover board and rode along side them as they headed out to the woods. Once they were close, Sarah reached into her bag and took out her tracker.

"It's linked to the map," she said. "It can give us exact coordinates of monsters and concentrated energy forces. I meant to make one for everyone but it was getting late."

"One is enough for now," Brody assured her. "Where are we headed?"

Before Sarah could answer, something knocked her off her hover board. Calvin slammed the breaks on his truck, terrified he might run into her. Instead of skidding to a stop, though, the truck stopped dead and Calvin found, to his horror, that the front of his truck was damaged.

"What the…"

"Sarah, you okay?" Preston asked, hopping out of the truck to help her up to her feet. Sarah nodded her head and had a look around.

"Did you see what it was?" she asked.

"Whatever it is, it owes me big time," Calvin growled and slammed his door shut. "That's going to cost me a fortune to fix!"

The wind picked up suddenly and Calvin felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise. Looking around, he saw the others were in a similar state of confusion as him.

"Maybe we should morph?" Levi suggested and Brody nodded his head.

"Like that's really going to help," a voice spoke out and the Rangers turned around to see a man approaching. Brody immediately recognized the emblem on his uniform while Sarah recognized the man.

"Shane?"

"He's from the Wind Ninja Academy!" Brody called out. "He's one of the good guys."

"Then how come he doesn't look it?" Hayley asked. Brody looked closer and saw a dark look in Shane's eyes. Hayley was right. Something about this man seemed strange.

"Young Ninjas always were adorable," Shane said, looking to each of the Rangers with a mocking smirk. "So much power and yet, they have no idea how to harness it."

"We are training, you know," Preston said. "It takes time."

"Time?" Shane asked. "You think you have time?"

"Shane, what are you doing here?" Sarah asked, taking a step forward.

"You know him?" Brody asked.

"That's my uncle," Sarah said. She turned back to Shane, "I thought we agreed…"

"This is your team?" Shane asked with a laugh. "These kids and that cowboy? This is your team of super Ninjas."

"Hey, I don't care who you are," Calvin frowned, "You owe me big time for the damage to my truck!"

"That chuck of metal?" Shane said and with a flick of his wrist he sent the car flying deep into the woods, "Please. I did you a favour. Get yourself something better. Something… red."

"Guys, something isn't right," Sarah stated. "Shane isn't like this. He came to help Jenny. He's…"

"This must be that weird energy that your map picked up on," Hayley concluded. "If he's not acting right…"

"Acting right?" Shane interrupted and laughed again. "Come on, kids, I'm the one making the most sense here. Your ragtag group of kids and your country babysitter aren't the Ninjas this planet needs to stop Galvanax!"

"Your team was a ragtag group of kids," Brody pointed out. "My dad told me…"

"My team was destined for greatness. You… you aren't worth the ninja name," Shane said and lunged forward, taking out each of the Rangers in a flash of light before any of them could reach for their Power Stars. As he skidded to a halt, he turned to see them on the ground, writhing in pain. "I haven't even broken a sweat! Kalzaks were more of a threat than the six of you!"

"Galvanax must have done something to him," Brody insisted as he tried to get to his feet. "A Ninja, especially from the Wind Ninja Academy, would never behave like this."

Brody managed to stand and looked to Shane, "You're a disappointment to your school! If my father were here..."

"He'd make a much better Ranger than you," Shane nodded his head. "Anyone would be better than the six of you. Come on, kids, morph. Give me some kind of challenge."

"Alright, you asked for it," Calvin said and hopped up to his feet, the rest of his team following except for Sarah, who lay on the ground, conflicted by what to do. This wasn't the Shane she knew.

She watched her team morph and race towards Shane, confident that together they would be able to take him on. He seemed to struggle against the five of them for a while, before suddenly laughing and in a flash, they were all on the ground. Shane stood, without so much as a scratch, looking to his five challengers.

"Get up," he told them. "We're not done."

"Shane, this isn't you!" Sarah called out as her friends rose to their feet again and tried to attack. Shane let them try for a moment once again before taking them out. This time, they couldn't get up. Sarah stood up this time and glared at her uncle. "Stop this!"

"Or what?" Shane asked with a sneer. "What are you going to do that your friends haven't tried already?"

"I don't want to hurt you," Sarah said. "You just… you have to snap out of it."

"And what?" Shane asked. "Let you and these pathetic Rangers take on Galvanax. If you can't stop me, what makes you think you're a threat to Galvanax? I'm doing you, and this planet, a favour."

Sarah shook her head, "Shane…"

"Oh, shut up!" Shane shouted and flicked his hand in her direction. He sent her flying backwards. Sarah hit the ground and rolled a few feet before stopping at the foot of a tree. She looked to Shane, who shook his head. "You aren't worth my time."

He turned around and walked away.


	16. Parenting

Sarah was home late that night. After filling in her friends on Shane's secret as a Ranger, and insisting that his actions were out of character for him, the Rangers spent the better part of the day trying to figure out why he would suddenly turn on them, especially after coming to town to help. By the time Sarah was home, she assumed Jenny would already be in bed. She walked through the front door and was immediately assaulted by the light as it turned on.

"And where have… oh god!" Jenny called out and Sarah could assume her step-mother had noticed the bruises and scratches. She was okay, but her encounter with Shane in the woods had caused her to gain a few suspicious injuries. She couldn't imagine what was going through Jenny's head. "What happened to you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just an accident."

"On your hover board?"

"Y-Yeah," Sarah nodded, finding it a convenient lie, especially since it was somewhat true. Shane had knocked her off her board. She just opted to omit the rest of what happened.

"Were you wearing your…"

"Of course, Jenny," Sarah answered. Jenny breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good, then if you're okay, why didn't you call?"

"I got a little carried away," Sarah said. "My friends and I are working on a project for school and…"

"You managed to sign up for the science fair?" Jenny asked and Sarah appreciated that her mother was just handing over excuses for her to use.

"Uh… yeah. I lost track of time and…"

"Just… just call me next time, okay? I get worried."

"Promise," Sarah nodded. She started to make her way up to her room when Jenny called out to her again, "Have you seen my brother, by the way. He isn't home yet either."

"Uh, I think he said he was running some errands out of town."

"Oh," Jenny said with a frown. "Did he said when he'd be back?"

"Soon?"

Jenny gave a little nod and let Sarah go to bed. When her step-daughter was in her room, Jenny breathed out a heavy sigh of relief and gripped the handrail tight. It wasn't like Sarah not to call when she was going to be late and while waiting up for her, Jenny's mind had wandered to dark places. She was still shaken up from her encounter with Kathryn and had convinced herself that the worst had happened. Seeing Sarah come home, even with all the injuries, had been a sight for sore eyes.

"Parenting sucks," Jenny muttered to herself and went to the kitchen to fix herself some warm milk. After that scare, she was going to need all the help she could get trying to fall asleep. As she waited for the milk to warm, she glanced out the window to the driveway and began to wonder why Shane wouldn't give her a quick call to let her know he wouldn't be coming home. Growing up, he hadn't been the most prepared boy. Their parents had big dreams for the two of them and their eldest brother Porter. They wanted all three of their children to be financially stable with a well-respected job. They had planned on their kids becoming leaders in business or lawyers or doctors. Jenny and Porter did as their parents expected. He worked his way up to becoming the vice-President for a big business out in Mariner Bay while Jenny, until recently, had worked as an executive for a company. Money was never going to be an issue for the two of them. Shane had other dreams, dreams that left their parents, and Porter, worried for his future. He loved to skateboard and used all his free time to ride around on that plank of wood. He dreamed of going pro, which was never going to provide him with the stability his parents were looking for. Shane had been the black sheep of the family for years until, one day, Porter suddenly took his side and was able to convince their parents that while Shane wasn't traditional with his dream career, he did have all the motivation and aspirations that his parents wanted from him. He simply channelled that energy in a different way.

Jenny had always seen that in her brother, though she would admit that it frustrated her that Shane had always been the more daring sibling. She let her parents convince her that they knew what was best for her. Shane stood his ground. So even when he was the black sheep, or the lazy bum, as Porter would call him, Jenny always got the sense that when he was needed, Shane would do what was right.

So for him not to call, or check in, seemed rather odd. Sarah had said he was running errands, but her statement seemed to be more of a question, like she was coming up with an excuse on the spot rather than recalling what he had actually said.

Curious, Jenny picked up her cell phone. She made one more call to her brother, but it went to voicemail. Feeling unsettled still, she called the one person who, without a doubt, could help her.

"Is this Tori Hanson?" she asked when the person on the other end answered. "Great! This is Jenny Thompson, Shane's older sister. You wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?"

Tori took a minute to answer, as though she was trying to recall her last conversation with Shane. Then she gave her answer. Jenny sighed, "It's just, my step-daughter said he was out running errands but he didn't check in with me at all today. She didn't seem too sure either and… Yes, he can take care of himself but something just doesn't feel right about this."

Jenny was glad when Tori seemed to agree, and she felt even better when Tori promised to look into it for her. She thanked Tori for taking her call and then hung up. Breathing a sigh of relief, she poured her warm milk into a mug and started to make her way up to the guest bedroom for the night. However, as she passed Sarah's room, she could hear a few painful hisses and couldn't keep going without investigating. She knocked and then opened the door, catching Sarah in the act of cleaning out what looked to be a rather serious scrape down her leg.

"Here, let me help," she said, taking the hydrogen peroxide from her step-daughter so she could clean it out thoroughly. "You got all this from one fall? Are you sure?"

"I was wearing my helmet and pads."

"I trust you," Jenny nodded. "It's just… I've seen you after falls before and… this doesn't look like anything else that you've suffered."

"Some falls are nastier than others."

"I know, but…"

"Any word on what's going to happen with dad's stuff?" Sarah asked, which Jenny found to be rather odd. It wasn't like Sarah to suddenly want to switch the topic, and since Bill's disappearance, neither of them would really bring him up in conversation unless it was absolutely necessary. But she let it go, assuming Sarah was desperate to change the topic quickly because she didn't want to talk about the accident.

"Nothing's going to happen to it," she said. "He left everything to us. We get to decide if we want to keep it, or donate it, or put it away in storage."

"What are you going to do?"

"I was thinking we give ourselves a little more time with his things around before we make any big decisions," she assured her step-daughter. "But if you're worried about it, I want you to know that I'm not going to do anything without talking to you first."

"Thank you," Sarah said with a grateful smile and Jenny couldn't help but smile as well. Bill's disappearance and assumed death had been tough for both of them. Jenny still couldn't believe that she was now a single mother with a teenage daughter. She had never even considered the idea of children until Bill mentioned Sarah, and even then she always imagined she would have him around to be the lead parent. Sarah was, after all, his daughter. She never considered taking parenting classes or reading any of the parenting books she had seen in stores. She only attended parent-teacher meetings to support her husband and to give herself something to talk about with Sarah. When she did marry Bill, she always thought she would be more of a big sister figure than a mother.

Now, that had all changed. She was completely lost when it came to being a parent but she found herself always wanting to do what was best for Sarah. Even in her moment earlier that evening, when she proclaimed parenting sucked, she couldn't imagine trading in what she had now for anything else (except, of course, having her husband back).

She thought to her meeting with Sarah's biological mother. She thought of the stories Bill told. How, once Kathryn had lost her rights to Sarah, there was no attempt at communication. Bill never would have allowed it, of course, but Jenny couldn't imagine a mother even giving up her daughter willingly. Hell, Jenny would now find herself lying awake at night wondering what she would have done if Bill hadn't had his affairs in order before he disappeared. It didn't seem right to her to let Sarah go to foster care, or, god-forbid, let her return to her mother. Jenny would find herself falling apart.

"Your home is here," Jenny found herself saying to Sarah, and even she wasn't sure why, but she knew it needed to be said. Sarah gave her a bit of a strange look.

"Uh, okay."

Jenny smiled to herself at Sarah's reaction, comforted by the fact that her statement, to Sarah, seemed like an obvious one; like it didn't even have to be said.

"I just… some things have come up lately that got me thinking about… well, it's just, this is your home and I'll always be here for you. Whatever you need, whether you're in a bit of trouble and need help, or just need to talk, or not, I just want you to know that, no matter what, you're safe."

"I know," Sarah smiled and Jenny's heart warmed. Sarah had always been calm and easy-going. She was open to new ideas and new experiences and there seemed to be nothing that really shocked her. She took the news of her father dating very well and was nothing but kind and welcoming when she first met Jenny. She was excited when she heard her father and Jenny were getting married and insisted she was part of the wedding as much as possible. When she heard that they were going to have to move, and that she would have to change schools and cities and she would be away from all of her friends, Sarah declared that while it might be difficult at first, it was really just a chance to make even more friends. She had a positive outlook on life and was able to spin any challenge into an opportunity. Jenny loved that about her step-daughter.

"I mean it," Jenny insisted, though she was sure this was more for herself than Sarah. "I'll never replace your dad and you've made it this far without a mom but whatever you need me to be…"

"What do you mean, without a mom?" Sarah asked and Jenny noticed there was a genuine look of concern on her face.

"Well, I just mean since your mother isn't in the picture…"

"Jenny, you might be a step-mom in title but the role you've always played in my life is motherly," Sarah told her with a warm smile. "I mean, maybe not in the traditional sense but as far as being a female role model and a person I can trust then, yes, you're the mom."

"Really?"

"You've been around more than my biological mom ever was," Sarah shrugged her shoulders. "And you're nowhere near as wicked as the step-mothers in fairy tales."

Jenny laughed. Sarah continued.

"I know you're doing your best, Jenny. I know this whole thing can't be easy. Don't be so hard on yourself, okay? I'm fine, even if it doesn't look like it right now."

Jenny glanced down to Sarah's scrape, "So what you're saying is even good parents have kids who come home looking like they've been hit by a truck?"

"You're a good parent in my books," Sarah said and though she spoke with a smile, it seemed to fade, and Jenny noticed there was a pained look on Sarah's face that didn't seem to come from her injuries. She finished cleaning out the scrape the nudged her.

"I meant it, Sarah. You can tell me anything. This is your home. I'm not going anywhere. Neither are you."

"I know."

"So if there's anything you need to get off your chest, I'm here to listen."

"It's fine."

"You'd tell me if it was serious, right? If there was something I needed to be worried about?"

"What would you need to worry about?" Sarah asked.

"You," Jenny said. "How you're doing. If you're safe, happy, things like that?"

"And by safe, you mean…"

"Sarah, are you safe?" Jenny asked and felt sick with just having to ask that question? Had her initial fears been right? Have Kathryn somehow been the reason Sarah was home late. "If there's anything you don't feel comfortable about, or you have questions about or…"

"I'm okay," Sarah answered. "But, I lied earlier when I said Shane was running errands."

"So you don't know where he is?" Jenny asked. Sarah shrugged her shoulders.

"I did see him earlier today but… there was something strange going on with him. He wasn't himself. He's actually the reason I… fell off my board."

"Did he hurt you?" Jenny asked as her mind whirled with all sorts of different worst case scenarios. "Sarah, He's my brother and all, and we share blood, but I swear to god, if he did anything that made you feel uncomfortable, you have to know I'm here to help you. I'll tear his ass a new one if I have to."

"No, no it's nothing like that!" Sarah stated quickly, shaking her head. "I like Shane. He's a good guy. It's just… something happened and I'm worried about him."

"What happened?"

"I… I don't know. It's hard to explain without really…"

"Without what? Sarah if there's something to tell, I want to know. You can talk to me about anything."

Sarah leaned across her bed and picked up her bag from the floor. She reached inside and pulled out a small, pink star shaped object. She placed it in Jenny's hand.

"Do you have any idea what that is?"

"A new invention?"

"I wish," Sarah smirked for a second before her face was serious again. "You don't recognize it at all?"

"I don't know," Jenny shrugged, examining the star a little closer. "I guess it kind of looks like those shapes on the Power Rangers' helmets. You know like a ninja star kind of thing."

"It's called a Ninja Power Star," Sarah stated. "That one belongs to the pink Ranger."

"So why do you have it?" Jenny asked. Sarah didn't answer and instead remained silent. Jenny wondered why at first before it finally hit, "You… you're the pink Ranger?"

"Surprise?"

"You fight those alien monsters?"

"With my team, yeah."

"And what does this have to do with my… oh god, he's one of you, isn't he?"

"Well, yes and no," Sarah answered.

"What does that mean? Is he or isn't he?"

"You've never noticed he wears a lot of red?"

"I just… you wear pink," Jenny's jaw dropped, "Oh my god, is that a thing? Are you only allowed to wear your colour?"

"I… I don't know," Sarah frowned questioningly as she pondered that idea for a moment. Jenny, meanwhile was still putting the pieces together.

"Oh my god, Shane is your red Ranger?"

"What?" Sarah asked, her attention returning to her step-mother. "Oh, no, that's Brody. But Shane is a red Ranger."

"That Dino one? From Amber Beach?"

"Uh, Shane's kind of got a similar theme to my team," Sarah said. Jenny really had to think back.

"Theme? As in ninjas? Like… like the ninja Rangers in Blue Bay a few years back?"

"Yeah!"

"But… But Shane was just a kid! He was barely any older than you! You mean he was the red Ranger from Blue Bay Harbour?"

Sarah nodded her head, "And now he's not himself. He attacked my team today and… you know him better than I do, that's not like him, right?"

"Shane… no, that's not like him. Shane would always do right in the end. If he's attacking anyone then… there's got to be some other explanation."

"We'll figure it out," Sarah promised. "Like you said, there's got to be an explanation, and once I know what that is, we'll find a way to get him back to normal."

"This is… this is a lot to take in," Jenny stated and looked to her mug of milk, which no longer seemed strong enough to help her get to sleep. Hell, with all the information she just absorbed, she was sure she would never sleep well again. "I… I…"

"I don't want you to worry," Sarah stated and Jenny rolled her eyes.

"Worry? How could I not worry?"

"You just… we had a heart to heart, I thought and you were just… should I not have told you? Shane thought it would be a bad idea. Was he right?"

"I… I…?" every part of Jenny wanted to scream yes. She wanted to go back to the moment where she was walking past Sarah's door and take back her decision to head inside. She didn't want to know any of this. She didn't want the burden of being the parent of a Ranger. She didn't want the worry that came with it, or any of the fear. She wanted to go back to ignorance. Back to when her biggest problem was thinking Sarah had bumped into her mother.

It all seemed so small now. So insignificant. If Sarah was a Ranger, and she had no reason to lie about that, then surely her mother would be no threat compared to the alien monsters she fought regularly.

At the same time, she was glad she knew. If anything, because it meant Sarah could trust her with a secret, and because it showed that Sarah valued having an open and honest relationship just as much as she did. Jenny could help her now more than she would have if she had remained ignorant.

Maybe this was real parenting – the eternal state of conflict. Being happy and terrified all at once. Proud and worried. Overwhelmed and overjoyed. God, it was no wonder parents never slept well! It was a wonder they got anything done!

She looked to Sarah, saw the worry in her step-daughter's eyes; the panic that she had made the wrong choice in seeking support and honesty. Jenny calmed that fear with a simple shake of the head and a smile.

"I'm here to help you," she said. "We'll figure this out together, just like everything else."

"So, you're cool?"

"No," Jenny shook her head again. "But I'll learn to be."


	17. The Wind Ninjas

Sarah couldn't pinpoint an exact reason why she had decided to tell Jenny about being a Ranger. They were having a heart to heart, and Jenny seemed like she really wanted to connect with Sarah. She seemed genuinely concerned for her step-daughter and Sarah wanted to show her that she had nothing to worry about.

Odd, how _nothing to worry about_ translated to telling her Ranger secret in Sarah's head. Perhaps it was less about the worry and more about the honesty. She wanted to show her step-mother that the trust she was looking for did exist, and that her concerns were valid, but they were also, already, looking for a solution.

Still, Sarah didn't sleep well that night as she lay awake wondering if she had made the right call. She wondered if her friends, and if Shane, would be alright with her spontaneous and unexplainable decision to tell her step-mother her secret. She also lay awake worried for her uncle. What could have possessed Shane to turn on the Rangers and how could Sarah and her team fix this?

By the time the sun was up, Sarah was tired of pretending like sleep would eventually come. She got out of bed, grabbed a granola bar for breakfast and wrote her step-mother a note explaining she would be out trying to bring Shane back home safe. Then she grabbed her hover board and headed out, certain she would meet her friends at their regular training spot.

It seemed none of the Rangers had been able to sleep, as Sarah was the last to arrive. Preston seemed the most tired while Brody was the most worried. Calvin and Hayley, as usual, were wrapped up in each other's arms, leaning on each other.

Levi seemed the most calm, Sarah noted. He appeared to be the only one who looked somewhat rested.

"Good, we're all here," Brody said as Sarah hopped off her board. "I spent last night thinking and since Shane is from a Ninja Academy, maybe if we find it, we can get some help."

"That's all you came up with?" Calvin asked, a little teasing. "Hoping we could find help?"

"The Wind Ninja Academy is the school where my dad trained," Brody stated. "They're good ninjas, dedicated to protecting the planet. There is bound to be enough of them there that we can easily overpower Shane."

"Overpower him?" Sarah frowned. "I don't think we should hurt him."

"Because he's been so gentle with us?" Hayley asked and pointed to a deep bruise from the day before. Sarah had to admit, Shane hadn't held back in the fight. If anything, he seemed to be having fun toying with the Rangers. Being a former Ranger himself, and having kept up with his own Ninja training, Sarah was certain that, if he wanted to, he could take them all out. After all, they were still new to being ninja and new to being Rangers. They didn't have the experience he did.

"We should just get him under control," Brody said. "Then we can find out what happened. Mick's done it before with aliens on Galvanax's ship. If someone is acting a little strange, he's got this machine that can figure it out."

Sarah nodded her head. It seemed like a good plan.

"So, you're expecting us to just stumble upon an entire Academy dedicated to training ninjas?" Levi asked, looking a little unconvinced by the whole plan. "As is, masters of staying out of sight?"

"We're ninjas too."

"Name one person here who is actually professionally trained," Levi challenged and Brody shrugged.

"Me."

"Yet, since we've met, you've only ever talked about your training as a child," Levi said. "Look, I don't mean to be a bummer here, but I really don't think hope is our best bet here."

"I think I agree with Levi," Hayley stated. "We got our butts handed to us. If Shane finds us before we can find help, we're screwed."

"So what's your better plan, cowboy?" Brody said. Levi shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know yet, but hope, in this instance, doesn't seem like the right idea."

"Hope is for the weak."

The Rangers turned around, hearing Shane's voice, and they spotted the former Red Ranger watching them from the trees. All six of them grabbed their power stars, but they were suddenly blown out of their hands and scattered across the forest floor. Before any could look to see where their star disappeared to, Shane attacked.

He was fast, almost too fast for any of the Rangers to see. He would knock them down, and before they could get back up, he would take out the rest of the team and knock them back to the ground.

After a couple of rounds of getting their butts kicked, Shane finally stopped and backed away. He looked to the Rangers, all of whom were on the ground squirming, with pained looks on their faces.

"This is the threat that is giving Galvanax trouble?" he laughed. "Mere children with no more power than I have in my pinky finger?"

Sarah shook her head. This wasn't her uncle. It couldn't be. The Shane she knew had dropped everything to help his sister when her husband disappeared. The Shane she knew had been kind to her, and shared his secret with her. Of course, she was still getting to know her uncle, but she liked to think she could read people well. She liked to think there was something inside her that could sense when someone could be trusted, and she had a good feeling about Shane.

She wasn't getting that anymore. Something had changed. Something had happened.

"Shane, you can't do this," she said. He turned to her, pointed a sharp glare and then lifted his hand. Sarah suddenly felt herself flying, spinning uncontrollably. She knew, once she hit the ground it would hurt her already tender body.

However, she didn't hit the ground. Instead, she found herself splashing into a body of water she didn't remember being nearby before the attack began. She was submerged under water for a quick moment before she swam to the surface. She opened her eyes, brushed her hair away from her face and looked out to see she had landed in a small pond.

"What the…"she asked herself and glanced to where her friends were. They all seemed shocked, just like her, by the water's sudden appearance.

"Dammit," she heard Shane mutter before an impossibly large rock was thrown his way. He jumped to get out of the way but he was slammed to the ground by another rock. When he landed, a yellow streak raced towards him, grabbed him, and then disappeared, leaving behind Shane and a man dressed in a similar uniform, only with a yellow trim. This man had Shane pinned to a tree, struggling in his hold.

Sarah watched for a few seconds before she felt like she was being lifted out of the water. She looked to her friends, but none of them were near. However, she was being pulled straight up and then, suddenly, the pond was beneath her feet.

In the next second, it was gone.

"Looks like you guys could use a little help," a female voice said and Sarah turned around to see a woman standing behind her. She, like the other man, was wearing a similar uniform to Shane, only it had a blue trim to it.

"Who are you?" Hayley asked as she and the others pushed themselves up to their feet.

"We're here to help," the man said as he struggled to keep Shane under control. "Dude, would you quit moving? You lost, now just let us help."

"I don't lose."

"You do all the time, dude," the man said, this time with a little chuckle. "Well, not as much as me, of course, but definitely more than Tori."

"Stop calling me dude."

"He calls everyone dude," the woman said and rolled her eyes. "Dustin, just put him out for now."

The Rangers watched as the man did something and suddenly Shane fell into his arms. The man, Dustin, groaned as he lowered Shane gently to the ground, then brushed himself off.

"That should do it for a bit," he said and looked to the woman. "Now what?"

"We take him back to the Academy and have Cam take a look," she suggested. "Unless you know what's going on?"

"All I know is you drove me out here, instead of to work, and Shane was attacking these kids."

"Ninjas," Brody spoke up and it looked like he was trying to stand tall, despite the pain. Dustin looked to him, then to the rest of the Rangers and he gave Brody a funny look.

"You don't look like Ninjas."

"Neither did we," Tori stated and Dustin conceded to her point with a shrug.

"We did have a destiny though."

"Everyone has a destiny, Dustin."

"But ours was important enough to write on a scroll. You know, the scroll of destiny."

"And how do you know their destiny isn't written on a scroll?" Tori challenged. "Have you seen all the scrolls?"

"Dude, I've been reading a lot of scrolls," Dustin said. "And I've never seen it mention anything about six kids that Shane can beat up."

"Ninjas," Brody stated again. "We're just like you guys."

"You're the new Ninja Rangers, aren't you?" Tori asked and the Rangers all nodded their heads.

"Ninja Steel, I guess," Calvin said. "And you guys are…"

"Guys, check out their uniforms," Brody said. "Wind Ninjas, just like Shane. Just like my dad. They're the good guys."

"Uh, last time you said that, we got our butts kicked by the so called good guy," Preston pointed out as he reminded Brody of their encounter with Shane the day before. "Twice."

"We are the good guys," Tori said in a promising tone. "We got a tip that our friend here was in trouble and so we came out looking for him. Lucky we did. Are you guys okay?"

"Peachy," Preston muttered sarcastically and rubbed his sore arm, though most of him was sore at this point.

"Please tell me you guys know what's going on with Shane," Sarah said. "This isn't like him."

"We know," Dustin answered. "I mean, sometimes he can be a bit of a hard ass with his students but not like this."

"We have a friend who can help," Tori said. "You guys don't have to worry, we'll get this figured out. Shane won't be a problem for you anymore."

As Tori was saying this, Dustin was lifting Shane up, propping him up with his shoulder to take him away. Sarah noticed they looked like they were going to take him and leave. She shook her head.

"You can't just take him."

"Shane is our friend," Tori said. "We'll take good care of him. You guys just focus on getting better, alright. Get stronger so that when those aliens attack, you're ready."

"But…"

"We want to know what happens to him," Hayley spoke up, helping Sarah who, for once, was at a loss for what to say. She didn't know these people who were taking her uncle. Sure, they had the same uniform as him, but that was little comfort to her. "We're… invested."

"How so?" Dustin asked.

"He's her uncle," Preston said and pointed to Sarah. The two Ninjas before them exchanged a glance before Dustin smiled.

"You're little Sarah?"

"Little?"

"His sister's step-kid," Dustin nodded. "The reason he dumped his entire student roster on the two of us?"

"Uh, Dustin, I don't think this is a jolly reunion," Tori pointed out and then whispered something in Dustin's ear. He nodded his head.

"Oh, right."

"Our friend Mick can help him," Brody pointed out. "We can figure out why he's acting so weird back at our Ranger base. You guys are welcome to come, if you want."

Tori and Dustin looked to each other again and then nodded and dragged Shane along as they followed the newest team of Ninjas back to their base.


	18. Brainwashed

Dustin looked Shane over as Mick, the current team's mentor, analyzed what had happened to him. There was something off about the red Ranger. Shane never would have attacked anyone. He was all about discipline and picking your battles when he taught his students. He never encouraged violence at all.

"This is like, Lothor kind of stuff," he said, glancing to Tori who he was sure knew what he meant. They had been brainwashed once before by Lothor and convinced to fight the team of Dino Rangers. They hadn't been in control of themselves at all and it seemed Shane was the same way.

"Is there any way to get him back to himself?" Tori asked Mick, who looked up from his notes with a curious frown.

"Well, I'm not too sure what himself is like," he said with a bit of a joking tone. "However, there may be a way to reverse whatever is making him attack us."

"What is it?" Brody asked. Mick shrugged.

"Not sure. Still working on it."

The Rangers all sighed hearing this. Mick was as crazy as he was smart, and he had a very indirect approach to everything from his teaching to his jokes to his support.

"Is there anything we can do in the meantime?" Hayley asked, this time looking to the older Ninjas. "If he wakes up again, it's only a matter of time before he tries attacking us. While I'm sure the restraints will hold for a while…"

"We can keep an eye on him," Dustin stated and looked to Tori to confirm. She nodded her head.

"We'll keep him under control. You just need to come up with a way to get him back to normal."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Brody asked Mick, leaning over his shoulder to check his work.

"A coffee would be great," Mick answered. Brody looked to him with raised eyebrows.

"You? Coffee?"

"I've developed a taste for it," he said. "And I like that it makes me twitchy."

"Okay," Brody said skeptically as he headed out to get Mick a coffee. On his way out he passed Sarah by the door. He knew Mick wouldn't complain, or even notice, if his coffee didn't come right away, and so he stopped by the pink Ranger to see how she was doing. Shane was her uncle and so he was sure this had to be difficult for her.

He leaned against the wall right next to her and looked down her phone, which she was playing with mindlessly in her hand, "How's it going?"

Sarah stopped playing with her phone and turned to Mick with a sigh. She shrugged her shoulders, "I've had better days."

"They'll be back," he said with a smile. "My dad used to say that life comes with it's ups and downs, and no matter how bad things seem, it'll always get better soon."

"I hope he's right," Sarah sighed. "I could really go for a string of good days."

"Couldn't we all," Brody smirked. "Well, there is something else my dad used to say, when days felt especially bad. There's always something good in the bad. Like, for instance, Shane is okay. He's safe here with us, we're working on getting him better and once we do know how to help him, there will be nothing to worry about. It could be a lot worse."

"Your dad sounds like a really wise man," Sarah said, then looked to Brody questioningly, "Do you have any advice?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're always telling us what your dad would have said, or what he would have done," Sarah pointed out and Brody nodded his head. This was true. "You never really give us your own opinion on stuff."

"My dad was a wise man, like you said," Brody answered. "And he had a lot more experience than I do."

"Sure, experience comes with age," Sarah nodded. "But you've also spent the last ten years in space, travelling the universe, interacting with people and monsters from different planets. You must have your own wealth of advice from all that. Stuff you've learned that you could share."

"I don't know," Brody said. "I guess I never really thought of it. I've always just looked up to my dad. Always tried to do what he would have done."

"Nothing wrong with that," Sarah smiled. "Just, remember who the red Ranger is here."

"You know, I came here to cheer you up," Brody chuckled. "How did we make this about me?"

"Not thinking about my problems helps me relax a little," Sarah told him. "And I've noticed for a while you seem to hide behind your dad, I thought I'd point this out now."

"Now's as good a time as any," Brody shrugged. He looked back into the Ranger base and watched as Mick continued to run a few tests on Shane. "Are you two close?"

"Enough," Sarah answered. "He's my step-mother's brother. I haven't really seen her family much outside of holidays and big family functions. He came to town to help her after my dad and he's a nice enough guy."

"Well, Mick is doing his best. He'll figure it out. Just, try not to worry," Brody assured her with a smile and then gestured out to the parking lot, "If you want to keep your mind off it though, I could use some help bringing back some coffee and snacks for everyone. Think your hover board could take us both for a ride?"

"Are you serious?" Sarah asked and even looked a little offended Brody had to ask. He just chuckled and grabbed the helmet she was offering him from her bag.

"Sounds like a yes to me!"

-Ninja-Steel-

In the Ranger Base, Mick was doing his best, as Brody had promised, to reverse whatever spell or brainwashing had taken over Shane. There was nothing physically wrong with his as far as Mick could tell, but since his friends were so insistent that attacking people wasn't something he would normally do, Mick had to believe there was something influencing his mind.

Eventually, with detailed scans, he noticed a change in Shane's brainwaves that he recognized from working on Galvanax' ship. Since they ran a TV Show and the premise was aliens fighting each other to be the ultimate champion, they counted on having enough participants who were willing to fight to the death, if need be. While they often weren't short on participants, or even volunteers, there were the occasional times when Galvanax would use a prisoner to draw in extra ratings. If the prisoners couldn't be made to cooperate of their own free will, a spell would be used on them that would effectively brainwash them into fighting their opponents.

"Aha!" he stated loudly, drawing the attention of the others in the room but he didn't have time now to explain. He knew how to reverse the spell. Galvanax had tasked him with coming up with an antidote in case the brainwashed prisoner was the victor. "You dirty player."

Mick had to admit, getting an experiences Ninja, especially one with close ties to the current Ranger team, was a good strategy. The Rangers would be hesitant to fight a friend and that hesitation and lack of experience would be the perfect combination for a good ass kicking. The Rangers had already lost to Shane twice and he was sure if the other Ninjas hadn't shown up, or worse, if Galvanax had brainwashed them too, it would have been the end of his team.

"Fortunately, I have the antidote right here," Mick said, speaking to himself, despite the questions from the others. He created the antidote rather quickly by memory and then injected it into Shane's muscle. It was right on time too, as Shane began to stir as the antidote was being administered. "And now, we see what his state of mind is when he wakes up."

It was a moment still before Shane was conscious, and a couple of minutes after that he was just starting to become aware of his surroundings. Finally, he realized where he was and who he was with and he just frowned.

"What happened?"

"Brainwash part two," Dustin said and helped Shane sit up. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been sleeping for far too long," Shane answered. "You're saying I was brainwashed?"

"Gave the new kids a pretty good ass kicking," Tori nodded.

"Galvanax used a spell on you that he uses on his prisoners when he wants them to fight," Mick explained. "It caused you to see the Rangers as your enemy and triggered a need to kill them. Fortunately, we could permanently reverse the effects, and so you should be back to your normal self."

Mick ran a few more scans and then looked to Shane, "Feeling normal?"

"Mostly."

"Want to kill anyone?"

"No."

"Success!" Mick cried out happily, throwing his hands in the air. "This calls for a celebratory sip of coffee!"

He reached to the table where his coffee would have been, had he received it, but he grabbed only air. He looked to the table, reached his hand out again, but there was still no coffee, "I thought I sent Brody out to pick one up."

Preston looked to his watch and then shrugged, "He should have been back by now."

"Well, if he took Sarah with him, she's probably convinced him to go across town so they could ride," Calvin pointed out. He turned to Hayley and was about to suggest they call their friends, but she already had her cell phone out. She waited while the phone rang, then hung up when she got voicemail.

"She's not answering."

"Let me try Brody," Levi offered and took out his phone. He shook his head when he also got voicemail. "That's odd."

"Do you have any way of tracking down their morphers?" Tori asked, looking to Mick. He nodded his head.

"Their Power Stars give off a traceable energy," he said. "I can use that to see where they've been."

"You don't think whatever Galvanax used to Brainwash Shane, he's trying on the others, do you?" Preston asked.

The Rangers turned to Mick. He shrugged.

"Mind reading isn't one of my talents," Mick answered. "But I was thinking it was lucky Galvanax hadn't brainwashed our two new friends here."

"Yeah, lucky for you guys," Dustin said with a little laughed. "We would have totally kicked all your butts."

"Not the time, dude," Shane muttered, nudging Dustin in the ribs.

"It's possible Galvanax would try and turn as many of us as possible," Mick suggested. "And while you're all busy fighting each other, it would be easy enough for him to take your Power Stars."

"So any idea where Sarah and Brody are?" Levi asked. Mick nodded his head.

"It's not a coffee shop, unfortunately, but it looks like they did try to make their way across town," he said. "They're at the corner of Ocean Drive and Bridgestone. At least, that's their most recent location."

"Keep an eye on any new alien signals," Levi told Mick. "We'll check it out."

"Grab me a coffee on your way back!" Mick said as the Rangers all headed out. RedBot, who was disconnecting himself from the computer, seeing there was no more need for any scans, looked to Mick with a shake of his head. The Scientist shrugged, "What? I still need my celebratory jitters."


	19. An Accident?

Brody came to, not sure what had happened. It took him a minute before he opened his eyes and when he did, he wasn't where he expected to be.

Slowly, it came back to him. He and his friends had been attacked by Shane twice before some other Ninjas had helped them out. They got Shane back to their base and then Mick sent him for coffee. Brody had stopped to try and cheer Sarah up and after succeeding, he asked her if she could help with his coffee run. They took her hover board and since they were riding, Sarah insisted they go to the coffee shop across town. Brody had no objections. They weren't needed back right away and he was a little excited to be riding a hover board.

It was a smooth ride. Sarah really knew what she was doing when she was on her board. She could navigate through traffic and avoid people. Turns were no problem and speed certainly wasn't an issue. However, they didn't make it to the coffee shop.

Brody felt like he had been hit by a truck. He thought for a moment that maybe he had. While Sarah was used to her board and while she had done well getting around, other drivers weren't used to looking out for her. Hell, other drivers were still getting used to having cyclists on the roads with them, never mind hover boards. If Sarah's attention had slipped for even just a moment, it was possible they had been hit by a truck.

But there was nothing around him that would indicate there had been an accident. No witnesses checking to see if he was okay, no truck or car stopped on the side of the road. Come to think of it, Brody wasn't even in all that much pain. His body was a little tender, but other than that, he was fine.

He glanced around the street, trying to look for clues of what had happened. There had to be something lying around that could help him put the pieces together. Then he frowned.

"Sarah?" he couldn't see her. She wasn't nearby. Had they been hit? Had a car or truck hit Sarah? Why would he be on the sidewalk with Sarah nowhere to be found. "Sarah?" he called out again and pushed himself up to his feet. He stumbled a bit as he took a step forward and looked down to see he had tripped on her hoverboard.

Now he was worried. Sarah never went anywhere without her hover board. She certainly wouldn't have left it lying in the middle of the sidewalk without anyone to look out for it. He picked it up, checked to see if there were any scratched and then tucked it under his arm as he continued to walk around.

"Brody!" someone called out and he spun around only to find his friends running towards him. He smiled to them and waved as they arrived.

"Is everything okay?" Preston asked him. Brody shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm fine, I think," he scratched the back of his head. "I'm not sure what happened, though."

"Where's Sarah?" Hayley asked. She pointed to Sarah's hover board. Brody looked to it and shrugged.

"I… I'm not sure," he glanced around, thinking she had to be close. She never would have left her hoverboard.

"You left for coffee," Levi reminded him. "Did you make it?"

"We… we didn't," Brody looked around again. There had to be a clue or something.

"He doesn't appear brainwashed," Dustin pointed out, earning some glares from the other Rangers. He shrugged, "What? Well, he doesn't!"

"Brainwashed? Like Shane was?" Brody asked. He had put the pieces together when he saw his friends running towards him with Shane as part of the group. He assumed Mick had found a way to get Shane back to his normal self and that they were all coming now to check up on him. "I'm not brainwashed. At least, I don't think I am."

"You wouldn't realize until it was over," Shane stated. "But I do remember seeing a monster right before it happened."

"No, no monster," Brody shook his head. "But do you really think it's possible I was brainwashed?"

"Probably not," Preston answered. "Otherwise you'd be attacking us right now."

"What about Sarah?" Levi asked. "Where is she? Didn't she go with you?"

"Yeah, but… she's not around," Brody said.

"Did she attack you?" Tori asked. Brody shook his head.

"I think I'd remember that."

"Well, what do you remember?" Shane asked him. Brody shrugged.

"Just… getting coffee."

"It must be Galvanax," Hayley stated. "He must have done something."

"He got to her," Preston nodded. "I'll call Mick and tell him to get another dose of the antidote ready. Hopefully Sarah didn't go far…"

"Guys, I… I don't think this was Galvanax," Brody shook his head. "I don't remember seeing any monster. I don't remember fighting with Sarah at all! We were having a good time."

"So then what happened?" Calvin asked. "Where is she?"

"Galvanax is our best bet," Tori said. "Unless you can think of anything else…"

"Nothing," Brody shook his head. "I just… I don't remember what happened."

"We'll head back to the base then," Calvin said. "Maybe Mick can get us an updated reading from her Power Star."

"If she still has it," Preston pointed out.


	20. A Protective Mother

Technology had advanced drastically since Shane had been a Ranger. Back then, he thought Cam's technology was advanced. Now, especially with the help of friends from distant and more advanced planets, there was very little that technology couldn't accomplish.

Of course, the one thing it couldn't do was bring Sarah home. Mick had tried and tried to locate her by any means possible, but came up short all the time. Her Power Star had been found a short way away from where the others had found Brody, and without it there was very little they could use to get an exact location from her.

For the night, at least, Shane had to hope she was okay. He pulled into the driveway of his sister's house and breathed out heavily as walked inside. Jenny jumped up from the couch in the living room and raced over. She nearly knocked him over when she hugged him tight.

"You're okay!"

"I'm fine," he said, finding this a little odd. He and Sarah knew each other's secrets, but they had agreed it would be best to keep it from Jenny. He was sure his sister would be a little curious as to why he hadn't been home the night before, but he thought Sarah would have been able to come up with a good excuse. "Just, running errands."

"Sarah told me," Jenny said. Shane nodded. She repeated herself. "Sarah told me _everything_."

"Wait? What?"

"I'm not mad."

"You know?"

"I'm just glad you're okay," Jenny hugged him again. "She said she'd take care of it. She said it would be okay and it is. Thank goodness!"

"Oh… okay," Shane frowned. He wasn't sure how to respond to this news. Porter knew about him being a Ranger and he seemed to take it well, but that had been an accident. Shane would have kept the secret if he could.

Though, his brother finding out had made his life easy. Maybe Jenny knowing wouldn't be so bad. It would, of course, save Shane having to come up with excuse after excuse for Sarah if she was ever home late.

 _Sarah! Shit…_ he was reminded. He winced a little at the thought. He had no problem telling Jenny that Sarah would be out on Ranger business for the evening if that had been the case, but right now, he wasn't sure if that was the truth. He wasn't even sure she was okay. He had no idea what to say, and no idea what his sister could handle. She had just lost her husband, she was overwhelmed from suddenly becoming a single parent. Shane thought it just might break her to hear Sarah was in trouble and there was nothing that could be done.

He hoped maybe she wouldn't notice. Maybe she would be so relieved he was back, safe and sound, and she would be distracted with all the questions she had to ask him about being a Ranger.

"Where's Sarah?"

Nope. Shane sighed. Not even a single question. Straight to the point. He backed away from his sister.

"She's, uh, staying with a friend."

"Really?" Jenny asked with a frown. Shane tried to look convincing, but he must not have done a good job, because Jenny didn't seem to believe him. "Shane…"

"You can't freak out," he told her.

"Am I going to be listening to that every night?" she asked. "At least tell me she's safe. At least tell me there's a plan or… or something."

Shane wanted to say something. He opened his mouth, but his brain couldn't think of a single thing to say. He couldn't even come up with another lie, though he was certain Jenny would see through that one too.

"Shane?" she asked, looking to him hopefully. His jaw hung open. It was useless to try and speak. He shrugged. "Shane!" she cried out, hitting him in the shoulder.

"This kind of stuff happens," he finally managed to say. "The Power Rangers always figure it out."

"Where is she?"

"Jenny."

"What did you do?" Jenny's eyes narrowed as she glared at her brother angrily. "You attacked them! You fought the Rangers! If you hurt her…"

"Jenny, I didn't," Shane promised and put his hands up in surrender. His sister was smaller than he, and she was no ninja. She had never even taken a single karate lesson as a kid, but she could still instill the fear of god in him, as any older sister could. "She and Brody went out for coffee."

"And she just disappeared?"

"We found Brody," Shane nodded. "But he doesn't remember what happened. We have her hoverboard though."

That wasn't the right thing to say. Shane realized that as soon as the words passed his lips. It was absolutely no consolation to Jenny that Sarah's hoverboard was safe and sound. Quite the opposite. The blood drained from her face, her hands started to shake. She looked like she was going to pass out. Shane grabbed her by the arms to keep her steady. "Jenny…"

"Her… hoverboard? You found it?"

"Jenny, she's a tough girl. Smart too," he reminded her. "If anyone could get herself out of trouble…"

"She doesn't go anywhere without her hoverboard!" Jenny shouted and the weak and scared sister he had just been holding had suddenly summoned the power of the gods as she smacked him hard in the chest. Shane let her go and backed away. "So she's been taken? By monsters?"

"Well, we can't be sure of that, necessarily," Shane offered and thought this would be the best route he could take. Sarah was a Ranger, and even without her powers, she would be able to handle herself if this was just a regular, common crook.

"So anyone might have her?" Jenny yelled.

"If anyone but a monster does have her, then she's safer," Shane reminded her. "She's a Ranger. There are certain perks."

"Oh my god," Jenny's strength seemed to vanish just as suddenly as it had appeared and she stumbled backwards to the stairway railing, gripping it tightly to keep herself from falling. "She could have her."

"She who?" Shane asked.

"Her mother!"

"Sarah would be fine," Shane insisted, but Jenny shook her head.

"You just finished telling me you don't know what happened to her! I asked if there was a plan to get her back, or if she was at least safe and you froze!"

"Jenny, if her mother does have her…"

"If these Ranger powers can get her out of trouble, like you say they can," Jenny started, but had to stop herself for a moment so she could sit down. Her legs were weak, "Why didn't they keep her out of trouble?"

"I… I don't know."

"So if they can't keep her out of trouble, how can you promise me they can get her out of trouble?" Jenny asked.

"Jen, we're looking for her."

"Well she's not here!"

"Jenny…"

"Dammit, Shane. Get my purse."

"You're not driving like this," Shane shook his head, but still reached for her purse. He had no idea when her strength would return, and he preferred his odds at trying to reason with her than he did trying to fight her. He handed the bag over, "Jenny, you have to trust her team. My team."

"I'm calling her mother."

"Jenny…"

"I have to know if she's got her."

"Because she'll tell you," Shane shook his head. "Jenny, think reasonably here…"

"I'm thinking about getting Sarah home safe and sound!" Jenny shouted and Shane could see her strength was coming back. "At least I'm doing something! I'm not coming home and trying to pretend everything's alright."

"Jenny, just let the Rangers handle this."

Jenny looked to her brother with a growl then shoved her phone in his chest, "Get her home or I will."

Shane nodded his head. There was nothing else he could do. He took the phone from Jenny, put it back in her purse and he walked out the door.

He reached for his own cell phone, taking it out of his pocket. Monsters or regular criminals, he really couldn't be sure what had happened to Sarah. However, he did know of a team that would be more than qualified to handle the situation, regardless of what happened.


	21. Guardians

When Sarah came to, she was in the back of a van. She wasn't sure whose van it was, or how she had gotten there. All she remembered was leaving the Ranger Base with Brody to get coffee.

She re-traced her steps. Brody had cheered her up while they waited on Mick finding a way to get Shane back to normal. He had been attacking the Rangers and with help from a former Ninja team, they were able to get him back to their base for scans. For some reason, Mick needed coffee and Brody asked Sarah to head out with him.

She took her hover board, of course, and wanted to go for a bit of a ride. Brody agreed they would head to the coffee shop across town so off they went. It was Brody's first ride and he had asked a lot of questions about how she was able to build a functional hover board. Despite all the questions, Sarah could remain focused on the road in front of her, weaving through pedestrians and obeying the laws of the road until suddenly, a van had pulled up in front of her, seemingly from out of nowhere.

It was too convenient to be a coincidence. Somehow, this had to be the same van.

She remembered having to come to a quick and sudden stop to avoid hitting the van. Just like how she didn't like when people crashed into her board, she was sure no one would like to have a hoverboard-shaped dent in the side of their car. The momentum from the speed they had been travelling meant a sudden stop was impossible. Sarah and Brody both were thrown from the hover board. Brody hit the pavement hard, smashing his head into the sidewalk. Sarah was glad she had given him a helmet. Meanwhile, she had been thrown right into the side of the van.

Brody must have hit the ground with enough force to knock him out. For Sarah, this wasn't her first sudden stop and so she knew how to take the hit. Still, it was enough of an impact to leave her dazed. She remembered the driver of the van getting out, and she had started to mumble something about him needing to keep his eye out for other vehicles when he suddenly grabbed her. Before Sarah could protest, the side door of the van opened and something stabbed her in the neck.

She didn't remember anything after that. Feeling some of the grogginess wear off, Sarah pushed herself up into a seated position. She still felt a little dizzy, but she could at least try to think of a way out.

There was no one in the front seat of the van. Sarah was alone inside. She peeked into the front and tried to look out the windows to see if there was anyone nearby. She noticed one man leaning against the driver's side door, watching as, a little way off, a woman seemed to be negotiation some deal with a second man.

Sarah slipped into the back of the van, not wanting to be spotted by the man leaning against the door. She did know she would need a way out, but the driver's side door would not be ideal.

She looked at the back doors. There had to be a way to get them opened. She could find a way to pick the lock if it was locked, but she wondered about the noise. It might be too loud and the three outside the van might hear her.

She could try sneaking out the passenger door, but if anyone saw her through the window, they'd be on top of her in a second. She wasn't sure it would be smart to try her luck there. Not without exhausting all her other options first.

But she didn't have time. She heard the man leaning on the passenger door say something and suddenly the locks on the door opened. The man walked around the side of the van and Sarah could hear the back doors opening.

"You're sure this is what you want?" someone asked. Sarah knew she would have no choice. She would have to make a run for it. The element of surprise would have to be her advantage.

"You'll get your share of the profits," the woman's voice said. "Trust me, this will work."

Finally, the doors were open enough for Sarah to push her way out. She used all the strength she had and ploughed through the door, knocking one person off their feet and taking the other two by surprise. She thought once she started running, she could get away, but someone caught her arm and pulled her backwards. She was still a little groggy and couldn't find the strength to fight back right away. She was thrown back into the van and when she tried to get up to run again she was hit hard in the face. She fell backwards, crying out in pain.

"Stay down, bitch!" a voice called out to her. Sarah did not like being told what to do, especially in such a manner. She could deal with the pain in her face and the grogginess later. Right now, she had to find a way home.

So she punched the man back, maybe just as hard, if not harder than he had hit her. Sarah knew she was tough. She kept in shape and liked to stick to her regular workout routine as a way of training her body, just like how her experiments and tinkering in her garage trained her mind. Right now, she was glad for it. Even with the haze, her mind was still sharp, and her body was ready for the test of endurance she was about to put it under.

The man she hit with the door was just getting back to his feet when Sarah slammed the door into him again, knocking him out cold this time. With the other man nursing his face, Sarah was down to one offender.

"Move," she growled. She would if she had to, but she didn't want to hurt the other woman. She never wanted to hurt anyone, but she knew it would be stupid to hold back with her life possibly on the line.

"Bitch, if you know what's good for you, you'll get back in that van…"

"Not happening," Sarah shook her head. She didn't trust the look of the van, never mind the people who had _kidnapped_ her. Growing up, her father had always told her that if someone tried to hurt her or abduct her, that she should always try to scream and run.

So she did. She pushed past the woman, knocking her to the ground with a powerful, though embarrassingly unsteady kick and then took off running. She thought for sure she would be in the clear. No way could any of the three behind her keep up with her speed or pace. They didn't look nearly fit enough for it.

She didn't consider that a chase wasn't the only way to catch her. She heard a gun go off and immediately remembered that criminals often carried guns with them.

"Just keep running," she told herself as another round was fired. They would run out of bullets eventually and Sarah knew it was tough to hit a moving target. If she kept running, the odds were with her.

Still, if she had to, she wanted to increase the odds. Her power star had to still be in her pocket and just in case she was shot, she didn't want the injury to prevent her escape. Her Ranger suit would protect her if she needed it.

But she didn't find her Power Star. She knew she had to have it, she always kept it close. It was the only way to keep it out of Galvanax's hand and to be prepared in case of an attack.

Another shot was fired and this one startled Sarah. Her mind was now more focused on trying to remember what she had done with her Power Star than on avoiding the gun.

"Shit, shit, shit!" she called out and glanced over her shoulder just for a second. It was just a second. Barely a second, even, but it was enough time for her to hear a fourth round, and for her to feel something tear into her leg. It gave it out instantly, sending her straight to the ground where she landed hard in the dirt. The pain was excruciating and seemed to aggravate everything Sarah had been trying to fight off. She saw the man with the gun getting closer to her. He pointed the gun at her. She couldn't use her leg, she hadn't found her Power Star yet. All she could do now to protect herself was cover her face.

She heard another round being fired, but then something else at the same time. A roar? She looked up and saw a tiger in a vest standing protectively in front of her. The two men and the woman, seeing the tiger, immediately tried to flee.

"No way," she whispered. This was unbelievable. This had to be a crazy dream. Then she noticed that on the tiger's vest was a logo, one she knew well. "Silver Guardians."

Sirens wailed as a car sped past her. The tiger had come in closer to her, shielding her from the passing car. It bore the same logo as the one on the cat's vest, which Sarah now noticed had a note attached to it. She picked at it and read it.

" _Sarah," it read. "Your uncle called and asked for some help. This is Tiger. She'll keep you safe while Jordan and I deal with whatever."_

It was signed Gia Holling. Under her name there was another message.

" _PS – the cat doesn't bite. Don't be scared. – Jordan."_

"Don't be scared," Sarah said with a smile as she looked to the cat, "I just got saved by a freaking tiger! This is awesome!"

Tiger seemed to smile and nodded her head. Then she looked to Sarah's leg. She turned, showing Sarah the other side of her vest, where a first aid kit was attached.

"I'm gonna need a little more than that," Sarah said to the Tiger as she grabbed the kit, "But this is a start. Thank you."

Tiger nodded her head again and then sat next to Sarah while she waited for help to return.


	22. In The Hospital

It wasn't just the police – it was a special unit of police. They were the people the police called when things got hairy.

And they had called her – Jenny – to inform her they had her daughter.

Of course, they told her Sarah was safe. They told her they had her daughter, that she was alive and well, and she could meet them at the hospital to go over what had happened.

Alive and well, but still, they were meeting at the hospital. Sarah wasn't coming straight home.

" _They're former Rangers,"_ Shane told her when he explained that he was the one who made the call to the Silver Guardians. _"Part of the Ranger family. They'll do everything they can and more to bring her home safe."_

Jenny was grateful. She really was. Shane had pulled through when she and Sarah needed him most. He had lived up to his job as a brother an uncle. Hell, for some, he had gone above and beyond. But Jenny needed to be mad, and since she couldn't take her anger out on the situation, she had yelled at him some more. She yelled at Shane for letting this happen, even though she knew it wasn't his fault.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to him on the car ride to the hospital.

"Jenny, don't even worry about it," Shane smiled to her. "She's safe. That's all that matters."

"But you…"

"You remember how mom lost it on dad when I came home from the skate park in a cast?" Shane said with a little chuckle. "You remember how mom reached nuclear?"

"I went nuclear?"

"Very," Shane nodded his head. "But Sarah was in real trouble. You only did what you needed to do. Trust me, I can take it."

"I guess compared to alien monsters, your big sister isn't really scary anyway."

"Oh, you're terrifying," Shane laughed. "I'd take on Lothor and all his soldiers over you any day of the week. For sure, no questions asked."

"Seriously."

"It's called nuclear for a reason," Shane insisted. Jenny blushed. She knew it was bad but she didn't think she had it in her to scare a ninja.

At least if Kathryn ever threatened Sarah again, Jenny knew she would be more than ready to take her down.

It was part of the phone call that had terrified Jenny. When the Silver Guardian – Jordan – called to tell Jenny where Sarah was, he wanted to clear up a miscommunication. Apparently, while she was being arrested, Kathryn had shouted out that Sarah was her daughter – that she had been stolen from her. She was trying to throw the blame somewhere else and take the heat off her.

Jenny immediately contacted her lawyer, who had worked to assure Jordan that Kathryn's claims were unfounded. In the eyes of the law, there was no relation between Sarah and Kathryn. Jenny was grateful that that was all Jordan needed to know. He had Shane's word and proof from a credible lawyer. He wouldn't dig deeper into it.

"At least Kathryn won't be trouble anymore," Shane stated as they pulled into the hospital parking lot. "She's got arrest warrants pending and now this. I don't think we'll be seeing her any time soon."

"That's not long enough," Jenny sighed. She had only been a single mother for about a month now, and she was certain she had aged a few years. If this kept up, and with her step-daughter as a Ranger she was sure it would, Jenny had a feeling she was going to die of stress in a matter of months.

They walked into the building and were met by the Silver Guardians, as well as their tiger. Jenny was nervous to be in the presence of an unleashed big cat, but she had already been warned that Tiger was no threat.

"Mrs. Thompson?" Gia asked and extended her hand for a shake. Jenny accepted the offer and then shook hands with Jordan as Gia continued. "As my partner said, your daughter is okay."

"Can I see her?"

"She's not ready for visitors," Gia shook her head. "We thought we'd take this time to tell you what we know about her injuries."

Shane put his arm around his sister. In just a matter of hours he had seen her transform into a real mother. She had always had her doubts, even when she would only be taking on the role of step-mother. She had never imagined herself being the type of person who could properly raise and care for another human. However, Jenny was nothing if not brave. She fought for what she felt she deserved, both in her personal life and when she had been working. If she had her heart set on a goal, she would achieve it. If there were people she cared for, she did everything she could to help them.

Shane was always sure she would rise to the occasion. All she needed to do was prove him right.

"Sarah managed to escape on her own," Gia continued. "During her escape, she was hit by a bullet in the leg."

Hit by a bullet meant she had been shot. Gia opted for the former though when she spoke to the loved ones of victims because it sounded less harsh. For some, it made no difference. The word bullet was all it took to scare them. For others, she could see the relief in their eyes when they heard _hit_ instead of _shot._

"The injury was through and through," Jordan added, explaining to Jenny. "The doctors were able to close up the wound and have assured us there will be no permanent damage. Once the drugs in her system wear off, she will be on some pain medication to help keep her comfortable, but you should be able to take her home in a couple of days."

"But no permanent damage?" Shane asked.

"She's lucky," Jordan nodded.

"You mentioned drugs," Jenny said. "Hospital drugs or…"

"She was under the influence of something," Gia sighed. "She was aware of her surroundings when Jordan and I were able to pick her up, and Tiger says that Sarah was of rather clear mind as she looked over her."

"The tiger said that?" Jenny asked. Gia nodded.

"The drugs are probably what they used to abduct her. Sarah's memory is rather fuzzy."

"The important thing is, she's okay," Jordan assured Jenny with a smile. "She's safe now."

Jenny took Jordan's words to heart. This was a lot of information to take in, especially right now with everything else that had been thrown her way recently, but she knew Jordan was right. Sarah was okay. In the end, nothing else mattered.

"Can we see her now?" Shane asked. Jordan looked over to the nurse's station, where a nurse and a doctor were having a chat. When their eyes met, the doctor nodded and ushered Jenny and Shane down the hallway. He led them to the room where Sarah was resting up and left them. Shane reached for the door, but Jenny stopped him.

"What do I do now?" she asked and Shane couldn't help but chuckle. He had no children. A couple nieces and nephews, but he had never been a father himself. He was as blind as Jenny was when it came to what needed to be done here as a parent, yet she felt her best move was to ask him for help.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Maybe open the door and walk in?"

"But what do I say?" Jenny asked. "Do I tell her it'll be okay? Do I ask her what happen? Avoid it entirely? What if I start to cry? What's the rule about crying in front of your kids?"

"When I have kids, I'll ask," Shane said. "Jen, I really don't think there are any rules here. You just go in and play it by ear."

"Bill would know what to do."

"You know, just from watching you, from watching Porter, and Tori, I'm really starting to think parents don't actually know what to do. You just wing it."

"Wing it?"

"When Sarah disappeared, you went nuclear," Shane reminded her. "I'm not sure that's part of any rule book, but you still did it. And you know what, it was the best thing you did."

"What are you talking about?"

"Jenny, you pretty much kicked me out until I could bring Sarah home," Shane chuckled. "I came home to get a little sleep, thinking Sarah would be fine on her own for the night. You're the one who told me I had to keep fighting for her and if you hadn't of done that, I never would have called for Gia and Jordan. They never would have shown up for Sarah and who knows what could have happened. You stopped asking questions and you did what your gut told you needed to be done and you saved her tonight."

"You really think so?"

"Follow your gut, Jenny," Shane nodded. "But, uh, I will tell you to open that door."

Jenny nodded her head and opened the door herself. She walked into the room and the first thing she noticed was the heavy bandaging around Sarah's thigh, covering the wound where Jenny assumed her daughter had been shot. She gasped at the sight, alerting Sarah that she had come in. Sarah's head turned, and as soon as she saw her step mother, she asked, "You think I can still ride on my hover board?"

Jenny was shocked at first. Her daughter had been shot. Sarah had a hole in her leg and hadn't been allowed to start painkillers just yet and the very first thought on her mind was her hover board.

Then, Jenny laughed. She let out a chuckle, approached the bed and nodded, "You know what, let's say we give it a little bit of rest and then see how it feels in a few days."

"The doctor said I did an impressive job caring for it until I got to the hospital," Sarah said. "He says I kept it getting infected until he could clean it out properly and that it should help get me on my feet a little faster."

"How are you feeling?" Jenny asked. Sarah shrugged.

"I'm a little fuzzy on the details," she said. "I was just getting a coffee and next thing I knew, there was a van."

"You escaped on your own, I heard."

"Well, there was no one there to help," Sarah shrugged. "And I wasn't going to sit on my ass and wait for help to arrive. I just wish I had my Power Star with me."

"So, did they tell you at all why they took you?" Jenny asked. "Or who they were? What they wanted?"

Sarah shook her head, "I kind of just found myself in a bad spot and focused on getting out. I thought if I get the chance, I can ask questions later."

Shane stepped into the room at this point. He stayed behind to give Jenny a little time with Sarah but now wanted to see how his niece was doing for himself. When Sarah saw him, her smile brightened.

"You're okay?"

"Me, fine," Shane said, waving it off dismissively. "Your friend Mick really knows what he's doing with those alien spell stuff. You're the one who gave us the real scare."

"I guess even Rangers aren't immune to common crooks," Sarah stated, before she realized what she had said. She knew her step-mother knew their secret, but she wasn't sure if Shane had figured it out yet. "Oh. I uh…"

"I know," Shane nodded.

"Where are the others?" Sarah asked, looking around Shane to see if she could spot her teammates. "Is Brody okay? He wasn't there when I woke up."

"Brody's fine," Shane promised her. "He's got a good bump on the head, but he'll be fine. He was much more worried about you than anything."

"And he's got your hover board at the Ranger base. They've all promised to keep it there, safe and sound, until you're ready to ride again," Jenny added.

"I was planning on riding out of here."

Jenny frowned at her daughter, "Sarah, be reasonable. You're expected to make a full recovery. Let's not jeopardize that."

"Fine," Sarah frowned. "But I will be back on my board soon."

"I don't doubt that," Jenny nodded. "How about this. You rest up, just for a week, and then we'll see about getting you up and riding again."

"One week?"

"Take this time to work on something quiet in the garage," Jenny nodded her head. "Maybe bullet proof pants?"

"Alright, one week," Sarah agreed. "But I still get to visit the Ranger base."

"Your friends can come to the house."

"I get kidnapped and shot, and you're grounding me?"

"You're not grounded," Jenny argued. "I'd just feel a lot better if I could keep an eye on you and knew that monsters weren't going to… press the advantage."

"The Ranger base is at school. You're not going to keep me home from school, are you?"

"You could afford to miss a day or two."

"You have to be kidding me," Sarah groaned and dropped back into her pillow as she whined loudly. Jenny sighed, shook her head and turned to her brother.

"I get the one kid in this generation who isn't thrilled at the idea of staying home, playing on her phone and missing school. There's a whole generation of kids who would call this a vacation, but mine feels punished."

"Worst week ever," Sarah rolled her eyes, "and I'm not even including the part where I was kidnapped and shot."

"You are a weird kid," Jenny shook her head, then leaned forward and kissed Sarah's forehead gently, "Promise me you'll never scare me like that again, and I'll let you go to school."

"Deal," Sarah smiled.


End file.
